This question has been a matter of debate since many years and students really face a hard time choosing between the two. Now, let's take a look at the cutoffs of IITG CSE vs IITD EEE and IITB Civil vs IITP CSE.
EEE in IIT Delhi was more favourable in the past years but now the cutoffs have become almost at par with IITG CSE. Similar trend can be seen between IITB Civil and IITP CSE, where the latter is in more demand recently. Hence, it can be seen that students are preferring circuital branches in tier 2 IITS over core ones in tier 1.
Apart from Computer Science and Engineering, circuital branches like Mathematics and Computing, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and so on are evolving rapidly. Let us look at the given data which shows the cutoffs of EEE, ME, MNC and DSAI branches of IITG.
In 2023, there were a total of 335 vacant seats across IITs after the final round of admissions. Additionally, there were significant vacancies in NITs, with 4,406 seats available in the first round of CSAB counselling​. This is indiactive of the fact that students are ready to give up on the iitian tag for the sake of branches. Many students go for tech oriented branches in lower colleges than lower branches in IITS or NITS.
Approximately 17,740 seats are available across all IITs for the 2024 academic year.
There are 1,692 supernumerary seats specifically reserved for female candidates to promote gender diversity.
5% of the seats in each category is reserved for PWD students.
To determine whether IITs are overrated, we need to analyze them across various dimensions.
Let us first start off with alumni success:IITs have nurtured some of the great personalities of the country.Notable examples include Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google and Alphabet Inc.), N. R. Narayana Murthy (co-founder of Infosys), K. Radhakrishnan(former Chairman of ISRO),Arvind Krishna (CEO of IBM) and many more.
Many IITians have founded successful startups, contributing to India's burgeoning tech ecosystem.
Coming to rankings, IITs often rank highly in subject-specific areas, particularly in engineering and technology, but they generally lag behind in global university rankings.
The below chart shows the QS rankings of three most prestigious instituitions of the country.
Coming to mental health,the competitive environment can foster resilience and coping skills among students but on the contrary, the intense competition and academic pressure leads to stress, anxiety, and in extreme cases, suicides.
If we focus on the quality of students and the rigor of academic programs,advanced research and development, IITs worth the hype. If the emphasis is on mental health, student well-being, and global recognition, IITs might appear overrated to some.
IITs have significant strengths, particularly in academic rigor, alumni success, and infrastructure, there are areas that warrant critical attention such as mental health, global rankings, and disparity among campuses.
Getting into an IIT or NIT provides career security. Let us analyze the statement across various domains. Firtsly, let us look at the placement percentage of some of the topmost IITS over the years.
If we take the average placement percentage to be 80% and approx 5% to have opted for higher studies, 15% of the students still were not able to get a job even after being an IITIAN.
IITs do offer great opportunities (including research projects, international collaborations, or entrepreneurial ventures), infrastructures, esteemed professors, talented peers/seniors and a successful alumni network. These colleges have got independent status and are heavily funded. Projects, internships and placements are easier to get here than anywhere else.
But wherever you are, whatever you do, whoever you are, whenever you aim for a better life, a better you, the ultimate weapon that determines the rate of your success is your own hard work.
Sundar Pichai, Narayana Murthy were Iitians, at the same time, Ratan Tata, Satya Nadella were not. Your career depends on you and only you.
The club culture at different Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is vibrant and diverse, reflecting the interests and talents of their students. Each IIT has a unique mix of clubs and societies catering to a wide range of activities, from technical and academic interests to cultural and recreational pursuits.
Additionally, IITs host annual fests where these clubs often showcase their activities and achievements, adding to the vibrant campus life.