IIT Delhi Reforms: AI-focused curriculum, small class size, 24/7 counselling for students

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is undergoing major reforms, with a revamped curriculum set for roll out in 2025-26 session, capstone project to prepare students for the future, increase in the number of counsellors for improved mental health awareness, new programmes in Abu Dhabi campus, and restructuring of hostels.

From the 2025-26 academic year, the institute will introduce a new curriculum focussing on flexibility, artificial intelligence (AI) and enhanced engagement with the industry.

IIT Delhi has created a capstone project to help train students to be future-ready. The institute has converted the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) centre to an intelligence centre.

The institute has set up two centres of excellence. One is in collaboration with Hyundai and serves as a hub with IIT Madras and IIT Bombay also participating, focusing on sustainability.

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Initiatives on mental health, well-being of students

The institute claimed to have taken several additional steps towards mental health and wellness of students, and for making the campus more inclusive and diverse. Regular yoga and meditation programmes are conducted, and more than 25 wellness camps have been organised. The number of counselors has been increased to 14, and they are available 24/7. Department-level mental health sensitisation is also being done, and there is now closer interaction between departments and students.

With the help of the student welfare office, the IIT is trying to provide a holistic experience to students and make their lives easier. It is trying to provide more flexibility and exposure to state-of-the-art developments, especially as the work environment is also evolving due to the influence of AI.

IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus: Courses, schemes

Talking about its foreign campus, the institute informed that the IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus is doing well and termed it a startup. It has received accreditation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government and started BTech in Chemical Engineering along with research projects.

Shantanu Roy, Executive Director, IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi , said, “We started back in January 2024. In September last year, we had two BTech programmes in Computer Science and Energy, and energy is the recurrent theme. In the upcoming semester, we are going to start Chemical Engineering. There will be three BTech programmes, one Master's, and one PhD. Some students from the Delhi campus are also there. Last year, we had 94 students, and this year we will have 220-225. We have expanded our hostels. We have also initiated faculty recruitment. We have a very robust collaboration with Khalifa University, Zayed University, and NYU Abu Dhabi. Some research has already started, and more will follow.”

Innovation, mentorship initiatives

He also mentioned the initiation of the INTENT program, with about 125 companies having participated. There are currently 20 research projects running at the UAE campus. The institute has also initiated research collaborations with 13 international universities. A total of 26 joint degree students have graduated. So far, 1,150 patents have been filed and 1,193 international publications have been produced.

In terms of infrastructure, Hostel Nalanda has been revamped with high-end fabrication facilities. The institute is undergoing a detailed review of every academic unit. International reviewers will be visiting the institute for two to three days, following which a consolidated review will be completed by next year.

B K Panigrahi, dean, student affairs, stated, “We are committed to the extracurricular development of students. Despite hostel issues, we are committed to providing hostel accommodation to all undergraduate students, girl students, and everyone.”

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He added that the institute previously had an undergraduate buddy programme, and now postgraduate (PG) and international buddy programmes have been added wherein new students are paired with experienced ones to help adjust in the campus. A QR-based attendance system has been implemented to track students not joining meals for convenience and welfare purposes.

Narayanan Kurur, Dean Academics, highlighted special initiatives for incoming undergraduate students, such as a one-week induction programme to orient students towards academics, help them make informed choices, and hone their study skills. In addition, there will be a course on life skills, which includes emotional intelligence and time management.

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For existing students, the institute has started an academic progress group where faculty advise students who are falling behind.

In the new curriculum, class sizes have been reduced from 300–400 to around 150. Students will be tutored in groups of 30 for more individual attention. In the second semester, class sizes will not exceed 30, allowing faculty to better capture student interests.

While addressing the conference, IIT Delhi director Rangan Banerjee said, “We have started three postgraduate diploma programs through online mode. The number of placements has been growing, with 622 companies visiting for recruitment, 900 internships offered, and 1,400 placement offers made, of which 1,300 were unique.”