Are IITs Overhyped?

Replies

• 

  Ramani Aswath

  I do not think that the quality students has changed over student generations.
  Has the quality of teaching changed?
  Have the priorities changed?
  
  That things are going down seems to be the case.
• 

  RVignesh

  No its not a hype.
  Even though IIT is not even in top 200 but we cannot deny its face value. Not all of us can go to MIT or other such institute, we have to begin somewhere and for that IIT is certainly not bad.
• 

  Kaustubh Katdare

  I do not care where the IITs stand internationally. I know it's 10x more difficult to get into an IIT than getting into most of the top 100 engineering institutes in the world.
  
  I've often wondered the role IITs have played in the overall development of the students in making them world-class (moot point) engineering talent. For me the process is this:-
  
  

  Brilliant Student -> {Aleph (Letter) IIT ∃!ℵ} -> World Class Engineer.
  {HOW ABOUT}
  Average Student -> {Aleph (Letter) IIT ∃!ℵ} -> World Class Engineer.​

  
  Except for the brilliant professors teaching to brilliant students the IITs aren't playing any important role. I believe these brilliant kids would do good in life no matter what institute they'd go to. Sure it does give them ready made, high-paying jobs and passport to developed countries; but that's no 'engineering value addition', you see.
  
  Instead of spending on the infrastructure to build IITs, why not just make the IIT exams open to everyone and also make the lectures delivered in IIT open to all. Conduct exams online or offline (like CAT , JEE) and those who 'clear' those exams would get the IIT B.Tech degree. That way, we'd produce more IIT engineers. I see it as win-win situation.
• 

  Void Runner

  ^The above assumes that the IIT B.Tech degree adds value when it really doesn't. The main reason IITs have their name is the exposure and the environment the students are exposed to and not necessarily academic rigour. Are they overhyped is a question that has many facets. In some respects yes, in other respects no would be my answer.