The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-R) has been in news since it expelled 73 BTech students earlier this year for failing to achieve the qualifying grade. After a prolonged legal battle between the students and the authorities, the students’ mercy plea was considered and they were readmitted to the first year again.
The academic body, then, had announced to make
efforts to reduce the number of students failing to attain the minimum
qualifying CGPA. With the aim to effect the same, a revised grading system has
been introduced by the institute to help the academically weak students. With
the newly devised relative grading system, two new grades, namely O and D+, have
been added to the existing CGPA model of grades.
However, the minimum qualifying CGPA according
to the revised grading system still remains the same, i.e. students scoring
anything less than 5 CGPA are deemed to be disqualified under the new grading
system. The development has been the changed formula of standard deviation of
the CGPA. The standard deviation of -0.5 to -1.5, which derived a CGPA score of
4 according to the old grading system, is now the criteria for CGPA 5 according
to the revised grading system. Students who didn’t qualify with the standard
deviation of -0.5 to -1.5 in the old grades will now be deemed qualified. Apart
from grades D+ and D of CGPA scores 5 and 4 respectively, the formula of
standard deviation for the remaining grades remains unchanged. Also, the new
grading system has been introduced for first year BTech students only.
This change in grading system was effected
following the staggering number of 73 students failing to qualify in June 2015.
Students of a premiere institute like IIT do not get admission before
justifying their mettle in various examinations which are highly competitive.
Hence, the untoward idea of doubting the ability of an IIT student has been
scrapped, and the new grading system renders a more friendly approach to the
talented bunch of students who made it to an IIT with sheer hard-work.
The IIT-R students have welcomed this move unanimously.
Harsha Raj, a first year BTech student who was a part of the protest earlier
this year, says, “There is a positive vibe among students after the new grading
system has been announced. This has allowed us the space to experiment and take
initiatives.”
The new move has certainly changed the entire
scenario in less than a year. Students of IIT-R are feeling more loyal towards
the institute, and the reduced fear of disqualifying will certainly help these
innovative minds to explore the unexplored!