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Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Rules and Regulations
Booklet for
B. Tech., Dual Degree and
Integrated M. Sc.
Programmes
2011-2012
Applicable to the B.Tech., Dual Degree and Integrated M.Sc. students
admitted from the Academic year 2007-08
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INDEX
Sr. Particulars Page No.
PREFACE 041. INTRODUCTION 05
1.1. Organizational Structure for Academic Administration 051.2 Academic Calendar
2. CURRICULUM / PROGRAMME OF STUDY2.1 Curriculum2.2 Semester – Autumn, Spring, Summer2.3 Course Credit System/Structure
2.3.1 Theory and Laboratory Courses2.3.2. Seminars2.3.3 Projects2.3.3.1 B.Tech. Projects (BTP –I and BTP-II)2.3.3.2 Integrated M.Sc. Project2.3.3.3 Dual Degree Project (DDP)2.3.4 Non-Credit Requirements2.3.4.1 NCC/NSO/NSS2.3.4.2 Practical Training (PT)2.3.4.3 Works Visit
2.4 Minimum Credit Requirements and Planning of IndividualAcademic programme
2.5 Opportunities for Additional Learning: MINOR, HONOURS2.5.1. Minor2.5.2. Honours2.5.3. Two minors etc. for students for excellent Academic standing.2.5.4 Dual Degree Students
3. REGISTRATION 113.1 Semester-wise registration
3.2 Procedure for Registration3.2.1 Online Registration3.2.2 Manual Registration3.2.3 Late Registration3.2.4 Registration for the first two semesters3.2.5. Registration for third and subsequent semesters
3.3 Registration for Non-credit courses3.3.1 Registration for NCC/NSO/NSS3.3.2 Registration for Practical Training (PT)3.3.3 Registration for Works Visit
3.4 Registration for Projects3.4.1 Registration for B.Tech. Projects (BTPs)3.4.2 Registration for Dual Degree Projects (DDPs)3.4.3 Registration for 5year Integrated M.Sc. Project
3.5 Course Adjustment / Dropping of courses3.6 Dropping of a Semester3.7 Registration for Additional Courses : (Minor, Honours, etc.)3.8 Summer course Registration3.9 Role of Faculty Advisor in Registration
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4 SPECIAL FEATURES IN REGISTRATION 154.1 Academic Standing4.2 Normal Load4.3 Reduced Load for Category IV and Category V Students4.4 Overloading of courses4.5 Carrying Backlogs forward
4.5.1 Offering of core courses in both semesters4.5.2 Summer courses4.5.3 Normal load accommodates credits for an additional course
4.6 Audit course4.7 Registration for Post-Graduate level courses4.8 Guided Study4.9 Course Substitution4.10 Summer courses
5 EXAMINATION / ASSESSMENT 205.1 Attendance5.2 Modes of evaluation for theory courses5.3 Modes of evaluation for Laboratory courses5.4 Modes of evaluation for Seminars5.5 Modes of evaluation for Projects
5.5.1 B.Tech. Proects5.5.2 Dual Degree Projects5.5.3 Integrated M.Sc. Project
5.6 Non Credit requirements5.6.1 NCC / NSO / NSS5.6.2 Practical Training (PT)5.6.3 Works Visit
5.7 Grading5.8 Valid reasons for semester end make up examination5.9 Academic Malpractice5.10 SPI / CPI
5.10.1 Semester Performance Index (SPI)5.10.2 Cumulative Performance Index (CPI)5.10.3 Semester Grade Report5.10.4 Transcript; Consolidated statement of
Academic Performance5.11 Display of In-semester performance5.12 Disclosing the evaluated answer scripts after
semester end examination5.13 Answer script retention period5.14 Re-totaling of marks
6. CHANGE OF BRANCH 277. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS 28
7.1 Award of degree7.2 Award of Medals7.3 Early termination7.4 Early exit for poorly performing Dual Degree students
8. UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARDS (URA) 30
9. MISCELLANEOUS 309.1 Helping weaker students
9.2 Faculty Advisor
10. GLOSSARY 32
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PREFACE
The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay(IITB) is one of the Indian Institutes ofTechnology in the country, set up with theobjective of making available facilities for highereducation, research and training in variousfields of Science and Technology. The Instituteis now recognized as a leader in science andengineering education not only in India, butworld-wide. It has established a firm foundationfor education and research with a high-qualityfaculty base and having a vision to be thefountainhead of new ideas and innovations intechnology and science. The mission of IITBombay is to create an ambiance in which newideas, research and scholarship flourish andfrom which the leaders and innovators oftomorrow emerge.
IIT Bombay on an average annually admitsaround 600 candidates for the undergraduateprogrammes (B.Tech./Dual Degree and 5 yearIntegrated M.Sc.) through Joint EntranceExamination (JEE), around 180 candidates for2-year M.Sc. programmes, over 700 candidatesfor different postgraduate programmes andaround 200 candidates for various Ph.Dprogrammes. IIT Bombay follows a specializedcredit based semester system. There are twoSemesters in an academic year (Autumn –July-Nov; and Spring - January-April) duringwhich all courses specified for various degreeprogrammes are offered. There is oneadditional Semester during summer, called theSummer Semester, for summer courses. Thestudents are required to follow certainprocedures and meet specified academicrequirements each semester.
This booklet gives comprehensive informationon the existing Rules and Regulations forB.Tech., Dual Degree and Integrated M.Sc.Programmes.
IIT Bombay gives freedom to its variousDepartments /Centers / IDPs to tailor theiracademic programmes as per their specificneeds, within the frame work of the Rules andRegulations approved by the Senate from timeto time. Keeping in view, the ever growingchallenges and new developments, IIT Bombayrevised its Undergraduate Programme (w.e.f.
the Academic year 2007) to address thespecific needs of the country. The revisedprogramme, provide additional opportunitiesand flexibilities for students to optimize theirlearning experience. This needs continuousand meticulous planning of the academic profileon the part of each student to fully utilize theopportunities. The students, and parents/guardians, are therefore, advised in their owninterest to get fully familiar with the Academicsystem of the Institute, since in many ways itis different from what they would have comeacross earlier. Student’s attention is broughtparticularly to the assessment procedures andthe specific rules governing the grading system,academic performance requirements, etc.
IIT Bombay is a very student-oriented placeand our endeavor is always to ensure that ourstudents offered the best opportunities that areneeded to create outstanding scientists andengineers.
Thank you for your interest in IIT Bombay. Wewish all our students a very bright future andsuccessful career.
January 2009
Dean of Academic Programmes
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1. INTRODUCTION
B.Tech./ Dual Degree / Integrated M.Sc.programmes consists of courses in basicsciences, humanities and social sciences,engineering and technology and other relatedtopics. The sequence of studies broadlyconsists of three phases.
The first phase is an intense study of sciences,mathematics and humanities for deeperunderstanding of concepts than what was donein school. This is common for all UGprogrammes.
The second phase is the study of engineeringsciences and technical arts (such as workshop,engineering graphics, etc.). This emphasizesa broad based knowledge in generalengineering, and engineering methodologies,and enables the students to appreciate the linksbetween science and engineering. This phaseis also, by and large, common for all UGprogrammes, and overlaps with the first phase.
In the third phase, the students are exposed tosubjects in their chosen areas of study,designed to train them in the methodologies ofanalysis of problems and synthesis of solutions.The courses dwell on the principles governingsystems and processes, and develop in themthe ability for physical and analytical modeling,design and development. They are alsointroduced to engineering practice throughlaboratory courses, works visits, practicaltraining, projects etc., and these may vary fromdiscipline to discipline.
In parallel with the third phase, students canstrive to broaden their perspectives through twoopen electives where s/he can take coursesdrawn from across the Institute.
Integrated M.Sc. students in addition, workindependently on a project, wherein theyinvestigate natural and abstract problems andproduce mathematical, computational and/orexperimental results.
Dual Degree students do additional courses toget in-depth knowledge in their chosendisciplines, often with specializations. Inaddition, they work on a research anddevelopment project during their final year.
At various stages of the programme, studentsare initiated into research methodologies,library reference work, use of engineering andscientific equipments / instruments, learning ofmodern computational techniques, writing oftechnical and scientific reports and effectivecommunication.
Apart from the minimum credit requirementsfor the award of the degree, opportunities existsfor supplementing the learning experience bycrediting additional courses, in diverse areas.These additional credits when they are infocused areas can earn the studentscredentials like Minor / Honors.
The requirements for degree programmes runby the Institute are broadly classified as:
• Institute Requirements (further dividedinto Compulsory courses, Elective courses andother requirements.)
• Departmental Requirements (furtherdivided into Compulsory courses, Electivecourses and other requirements).
Syllabus of various programmes are given inthe courses of study Bulletin (CSB) availableon the Institute website: http://asc.iitb.ac.in/
1.1 Organizational Structure for AcademicAdministration
The academic programmes of the Institute aregoverned by Rules and Regulations approvedby the Senate from time to time. The Senate isa statutory and supreme body that governs allacademic matters of the Institute, and therulings of Senate Chairman ( Director of TheInstitute) are final in regard to all academicissues. A definite time schedule is set by theSenate for various academic activities, throughan Academic Calendar issued in the beginningof each academic year. The Senatecontinuously assesses the academicprogrammes and makes appropriate revisions/modifications/improvements as and whenrequired through two Institute level Senate sub-committees: The Under-GraduateProgrammes Committee (UGPC) forundergraduate programmes and a Post-Graduate Programmes Committee (PGPC) for post-graduate programmes. Deanof Academic Programmes (Dean, AP) is theconvener for both these committees. Similarly,
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performance of each student is monitored bythe Senate through two Institute levelcommittees: Under-Graduate PerformanceEvaluation Committee (UGAPEC) and Post-Graduate Performance Evaluation Committee(PGAPEC). Conveners for these committeesare designated from among Senate members.These four committees makerecommendations to the Senate, and, in turnseek/receive opinions/recommendations, whenrequired, from the two Department levelcommittees in each department, DepartmentUnderGraduate Committee (DUGC) andDepartment Post-Graduate Committee(DPGC). The DUGCs and DPGCs handle allacademic matters, related to both academicprogrammes as well as performance ofindividual students. The Head of theDepartment is the convener for both theseDepartmental committees. The Senate as wellas its sub-committees has studentrepresentatives. Administrative back-up for all
academic matters is provided by the AcademicOffice, with a Deputy Registrar (Academic) asin-charge.
On joining the Institute, a student or a group ofstudents is/are assigned to a Faculty Advisorfrom his/her Department. Students areexpected to consult the Faculty Advisor on anymatter relating to their academic performanceand the courses they may take in varioussemesters / summer terms. The idea of aFaculty Advisor has been evolved to extendguidance to the students enabling them tocomplete their courses of study for the requireddegree in a smooth and satisfactory manner.
All academic issues connected with theB.Tech., Dual degree and Integrated M.Sc.programmes are handled by DUGC, UGAPECand UGPC. If on any academic matter astudent would like to approach thisadministrative structure, it is always throughthe DUGC with advice and recommendationsfrom her /his Faculty Advisor.
Organizational structure for academic matters
1.2 Academic Calendar
The academic activities of the Institute areregulated by Academic Calendar approved bythe Senate, and released at the beginning ofeach academic year. It is mandatory forstudents / faculty to strictly adhere to theacademic calendar for completion of academicactivities. Academic Calendar can be seen atthe Academic Office homepage on Institutewebsite.(http://www.iitb.ac.in/)
2. CURRICULUM / PROGRAMME OFSTUDY
2.1 Curriculum
Every Department has a prescribed coursestructure which in general terms is known asthe Curriculum or the Courses of Study (COS).
It prescribes all the courses / labs / otherrequirements for the degree and sets out thenominal sequence semester-wise. It also givesthe syllabus and a list of text / reference booksfor each course. The Courses of Study detailsare updated every semester and are madeavailable on the Institute’s web site : http://www.iitb.ac.in/acad
2.2 Semester – Autumn, Spring,Summer
The Institute follows a specialized credit-basedsemester system. There are two regularsemesters in a year. The semester that beginsin July (July to Nov.) is known as the AutumnSemester or Semester 1 and the semester thatbegins in January (Jan. to April) is known asthe Spring Semester or Semester 2.
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During the summer vacation, i.e., (May-June),there is one additional semester for summercourses known as the Summer Term. Only afew courses run in summer (Sec.3.8) and areutilized by students, when offered, to clearfailed/dropped courses, or courses towards therequirement of Minor/Honors (Sec. 2.5), etc.
2.3 Course Credit Structure
In general a certain quantum of academic workmeasured in terms of credits is laid down asthe requirements for a particular degree. Astudent earns credits by satisfactorily clearingcourses/other academic activities everysemester. The amount of credit associated witha course is dependent upon the number ofhours of instruction per week in that course.Similarly the credit associated with any of theother activities is dependent upon the quantumof work expected to be put in for each of theother activity per week.
2.3.1 Theory and Laboratory Courses:
Courses are broadly classified as Theorycourses and Laboratory Courses. Theorycourses consist of lecture (L) and tutorial (T)hours, but may have attached practical (P)hours in special cases. Laboratory coursesconsist of practical hours, but may haveattached tutorial hours in special cases. Credit(C) for a course is dependent on the numberof hours of instruction per week in that course,and is obtained by using a multiplier of two (2)for lecture and tutorial hours, and a multiplierof one (1) for laboratory hours. Thus, forexample, a theory course having two lecturesand one tutorial per week throughout thesemester carries a credit of 6. Similarly, alaboratory course having one tutorial and threelaboratory hours per week throughout semestercarries a credit of 5. For example -
Theory course Laboratory course
In the Courses of Study bulletin, if a course isshown as, say, CE304 Soil Mechanics II :
21 0 6, it indicates the following :
Theory course
Course detail Indicates the followingCE Alphabetic code for Civil Engg.
Department course.
3 Year / Level code (This indicates that
the course is offered in the Third year)
04 Serial Number and the Semesterindicator (last digit indicates even orodd semester. Even = Spring Semester;Odd = Autumn Semester)
Soil Mechanics II Title of the course
2 1 0 6 L T P C (credit structure)
Laboratory Course - (CE 218 : Hydraulic Design Lab. : 0 1 3 5)
Course detail Indicates the following
CE Alphabetic code for Civil Engg.Department course.
2 Year / Level code (This indicates thatthe course is offered in the Secondyear)
18 Serial Number and the Semesterindicator (last digit indicates even orodd semester. Even = Spring Semester;Odd = Autumn Semester)
Hydraulic Design Title of the course
Lab
0 1 3 5 L T P C (credit structure)
Lab courses usually have either a 1 or a 6 asthe middle digit in the course number.
Other academic activities consist of Seminarand Projects, Practical Training, Works Visitand NSO/NSS/NCC. These are credit as wellas non-credit requirements. Seminars, Projectsare credit requirements, whereas NSO / NSS /NCC, Practical Training (PT), Works Visit etc.are non-credit requirements.
2.3.2. Seminars
Some departments may prescribe Seminar asa requirement for the B.Tech./Int.M.Sc. or theDual Degree. Seminar is a course whereinunder the guidance of a faculty member astudent is expected to do an in-depth study ina specialized area by doing survey of publishedtechnical literature, understanding differentaspects of the problem and arriving at a statusreport. While doing a seminar, the student isexpected to critically analyze works of various
L T P C L T P C
2 1 0 6 0 1 3 5
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authors/researchers, learn the investigationmethodologies, study concepts, techniques andthe results presented in these papers, andpresent a seminar report. It is mandatory to givea seminar presentation before a panelconstituted for the purpose. Seminars typicallycarry 3 credits.
2.3.3 Projects
2.3.3.1 B.Tech. Projects (BTP I and BTP II):
Some departments may prescribe a Project asa requirement for the B.Tech. degree, or as arequirement for Honors (see Sec.2.5.2),wherein under the guidance of a facultymember a student in the sixth semester, orlater, is required to do some innovative workwith the application of knowledge gained whileundergoing various courses in the earlier years.The student is expected to do a survey ofliterature in the subject, work out a project planand carry it out through experimentation and/or modeling / computation. Through the projectwork the student has to exhibit skills for bothanalysis and synthesis. These projects (BTPs)may be offered as a single unit of 12 credits(BTP) or two modules of 6 credits each (BTP-Iand BTP-II). Departments may also prescribea minimum performance in BTP-I for beingeligible for BTP-II (See Sec.5.5.1).
Even when it is not prescribed as a minimumrequirement for the degree or when not beinginterested in Honours, a student can opt to doa BTP as an additional learning, if s/he sodesires and can find suitable supervisor (s) toguide her/him.
2.3.3.2 Integrated M.Sc. Project:
Project is mandatory for Integrated M.Sc. Theproject is normally done during both thesemesters of the final year, wherein thestudents work independently and investigatenatural and abstract problems and producemathematical, computational and/orexperimental results. Integrated M.Sc. Projectcarries a total credit of 30.
2.3.3.3 Dual Degree Project (DDP):
Dual Degree Project is a mandatoryrequirement in the Dual Degree Programmes.The project consists of two stages, spread overfourteen months of duration, normally starting
from the summer after the eighth semester andending with the summer after the tenthsemester. These are essentially research anddevelopment projects, where a student trainshim/herself, under the guidance of supervisor/s, in in-depth analysis of an engineeringproblem and attempts synthesis of a solution.Literature survey, problem analysis andproblem definition, extensive experimental/modeling work, and analysis of results typicallyform various components of the project work.DDP carries a total of 72 credits.
2.3.4 Non-Credit Requirements:
2.3.4.1 NCC / NSO / NSS
One of the three activities, National CadetCorps (NCC) or National Sports Organization(NSO) or National Social Service (NSS) is amandatory requirement for all students for theaward of degree. These are normallyconducted during evenings of week days andare designed for character building and tosensitize the students to social / nationalissues. These activities carry no credits andare evaluated as Pass(PP) / Not Pass (NP).
2.3.4.2 Practical Training (PT)
Some departments may prescribe eight (8)weeks of practical training as a part of theminimum requirement for the award of thedegree. In such a case a student is required toundergo Practical Training (PT) in an approvedenterprise, factory or work-site in India.Practical Trainings are designed to familiarizestudents with the way in which an enterprise isorganized and how the science andengineering principles that they study in theInstitute are used to deliver goods and servicesto the society. Practical Training is done duringthe vacation. It can be done either (i) in onespell of 8 weeks in the summer vacation afterthe sixth semester or (ii) in one spell of 4 weeksafter the fourth semester and another spell of4 weeks any time after the 5th semester.Practical Training carries no credits and isevaluated as Pass (PP)/ Not Pass (NP)
2.3.4.3 Works Visit:
Some departments may prescribe works visitas part of the degree requirement. Studentsare taken on conducted tours through industrialworks to expose them to various technologiesemployed in the industry. The visits are
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arranged, once a week, to a local industry, andtake place during the semester. (Forregistration see rule 3.3.3). Works visit carriesno credits and is evaluated as Pass (PP) / NotPass (NP).
2.4 Minimum Credit Requirements andPlanning of Individual AcademicProgramme
Depending on the discipline, the minimumcredit required for award of a B.Tech. degreeis between 252 and 264. This is nominallydivided into 108 credits as Instituterequirements and 144 -156 credits asDepartmental requirements. Similarly theminimum credit requirement for Int. M.Sc. is340 and for the Dual Degree, it is between 278to 390 (250-264 B.Tech. + 30 Honors + 96M.Tech.) The credits are distributed semester-wise as shown in the Courses of Study bulletinfor each department. Courses generallyprogress in sequences, building competenciesand their positioning indicates certain academicmaturity on the part of the students. Somecourses do, in addition, specify passing incourses offered earlier in the programmes aspre-requisites. Students are expected to followthe semester-wise schedule of courses givenin the Courses of Study bulletin; they do,however, have a freedom to follow alternativeschedules to optimize their academic profilewith additional courses, keeping therequirements for each course in mind. Forstudents with backlog courses, suchrescheduling may even become necessary.Such departures from suggested schedulesneed to be done very carefully, and always withadvice from the Faculty Advisor.
2.5 Opportunities for Additional Learning:MINOR, HONOURS, ETC. :
The B.Tech./Dual Degree/Integrated M.Sc.programmes recognize the fact that students’aspirations, on one hand, and the demands ofthe work place, on the other, have becomehighly diverse. Every student has specificabilities, interests and career goals. Employerstoo look for people with different combinationsof competencies and flavours.
Each of the programmes prescribes a minimumof credits, and courses that would qualify acandidate for the award of the Degree in aparticular discipline. The total credits for theB.Tech. programme for example varies
between 252-264 depending on the discipline,as mentioned earlier. This approximatelyconverts itself into about four theory coursesand one or two laboratory courses or otheractivities like seminar, project, etc., everysemester. Every student in that disciplineundergoes this programme. This minimumcontent may not have much flexibility.
The Dual Degree programme will have anadditional master’s level component of 96credits which includes 24 credits of post-graduate level courses and a Master’s thesis.The programme also prescribes a mandatoryhonours component of 30 credits. Thisapproximately converts itself into about fivetheory courses and one or two laboratorycourses or other activities like seminar, projectsetc., every semester.
Normal load during a semester permits B.Tech.and Int.M.Sc. students, who are not identifiedas academically weak (see Sec. 5.1-5.2), tooptionally take an additional course (about 6credits). This surplus quality time ( equivalentto a total of about 36 credits, about six creditsevery semester after the first year) availablebeyond the minimum programme permits astudent to tailor her/his curriculum vitae tosatisfy her/his widely varying interests /abilities/aspirations and to suit multifariouscompetencies that the employers desire.( Options available to Dual Degree studentsare limited, see Sec.2.5.4)
It is expected that all students with reasonablygood academic standing, utilize this surplustime for enhancing their academic learningexperience, though the initiative is left entirelyto them. They can use it to credit an assortmentof courses/projects anywhere in the Institute,(subject to requirements of each of thesecourses being met), to gain a wide exposure.These additional academic accomplishmentswill find a separate mention in the transcript(Sec.4.6.4). They can also credit focusedactivities which can qualify as a minor/honours(details below). They may alternatively devotepart or all of the additional time for extra-curricular activities (including social work) ifthey so desire, and gain hands-onadministrative/managerial/aesthetic skills orsensitivity towards social issues.
Since seats available in such courses willalways be limited, and competition severe,
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students aspiring to do these additional courseshave to maintain high academic standing toregister in these courses. Sustained hard workand diligence throughout the duration of theprogramme is necessary to maintain theacademic standing and gain entry to coursesof one’s choice. This additional time will be usedby students with back-logs ( failed or droppedcourses) to clear them with proper classroomlearning. They may not be able to take thecourses towards additional accomplishmentsmentioned above, if any of her/his backlogcourses is running in a particular semester, ors/he does not have adequate academicstanding (see Sec.5.1-5.4).
2.5.1. Minor
Minor is an additional credential a student willearn if s/he does 30 credits worth of additionallearning in a discipline other than her/his majordiscipline of B.Tech. degree. All academic unitsin the Institute will offer minors in theirdisciplines, and will prescribe what set ofcourses and/or other activities like projects isnecessary for earning a minor in that discipline.
A student does not pre-register for a minor.S/he accumulates credits by registering for therequired courses, and if the requirements for aparticular minor is met within the prescribedminimum time limit for the course, the minorwill be awarded. This will be mentioned in theDegree Certificate as “Bachelor of Technologyin xxx with Minor in yyy.” The fact will also bereflected in the transcript, along with the list ofcourses taken.
Since the number of seats available for eachof the courses will always be limited, one hasto compete for a place in every course.Maintaining a high academic standing thereforeis essential for completing all the requirementsfor a minor as mentioned earlier. Even if onespecified course cannot be earned during thecourse of the programme, that minor will notbe awarded(See registration rules in Sec.3.1.5). Theindividual course credits earned, however, willbe reflected in the transcript.
For the award of the minor, all requirementstowards the basic degree and the minor haveto be completed within the stipulated period ofthe programme one is registered for.
Minor option is not available to Dual Degreestudents unless they have excellent academicstanding ( Category I, Sec.5.1-5.2)
2.5.2 Honours
Honours is an additional credential a studentwill earn if s/he opts for the extra 30 creditsneeded for this in her/his own discipline. Theconcerned department specifies the creditrequirements for earning the Honours.
Honours is not indicative of class.
As in the case of minors, a student does notregister for Honours. S/he accumulatescredits by registering for the required courses.On successful accumulation of credits at theend of the programme, this will be mentionedin the Degree Certificate as “ Bachelor ofTechnology in xxx, with Honours.” The fact willalso be reflected in the transcript, along withthe list of courses taken.
For the award of the honours to B.Tech. andIntegrated M.Sc. students, all requirementstowards the basic degree and the honours haveto be completed within the stipulated period ofthe programme one is registered for.
2.5.3. Two Minors etc. for Students withExcellent Academic Standing
Students with excellent standing (Category I,CPIe”8.0, no backlogs, See. Sec.5.1) can optfor earning an additional minor (i.e., an Honoursand a minor, OR if time table permits, twominors), by overloading themselves ( SeeSec.5.2). Students should however take careto see that they are not overstretchingthemselves by opting for such overloads overextended periods.
2.5.4. Dual Degree Students
Dual degrees of BTech and MTech intrinsicallydemands a deeper expertise in the majordiscipline of the student, and therefore DualDegree students are required to complete therequirements for Honours, as prescribed by thedepartment. They do not generally have theoption of minors. The requirements forHonours for a Dual Degree student may bedifferent from those prescribed for a BTechstudent. This requirement is over and abovethe basic requirements for the dual degreesas prescribed by each department. The totalcredit requirement is therefore 252-264(B.Tech.) + 30
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(Honours) + 96 (M.Tech.). This Honours willfind a mention in the degree certificate asmentioned earlier (‘Bachelor of technology inxxx with Honours, and Master of Technologyin xxx’).
(Students with excellent academic standing(Category I,CPI> 8.0, no backlogs, see Sec.5.1)who are permitted to overload themselves, maybe able to earn a minor apart from themandatory Honours. Rules for overloadingapply (Sec.5.4).
3. REGISTRATION
IIT Bombay follows a specialized credit basedsemester system, therefore registration at thebeginning of each semester on the prescribeddates announced in the Academic Calendar,is mandatory for every student till s/hecompletes her/his programme. If a student donot register in a particular semester withoutprior permission of the UGAPEC, her/hisstudentship is liable to be cancelled. Studentsare not permitted to re-register for course/(s),which they have already passed. Withoutregistration, any academic activity (course /seminar / project etc) undergone by a studentwill not be counted towards the requirementsof her/his degree.
3.1 Semester-wise registration
On joining the Institute, each student isassigned to a Faculty Advisor or an Advisorygroup (Sec.9.2). The student can register forcourses s/he intends to take during a givensemester or summer term on the basis of theprogramme for each discipline as given in theCourses of Study bulletin and as per the advicegiven by his/her Faculty Advisor. The FacultyAdvisor is expected to discuss with the studenthis/her academic performance during theprevious semester and then decide the numberand nature of the courses for which s/he canregister during the semester within theframework of the guidelines as approved by theSenate. The Faculty Advisor may advise thestudent to drop one or more courses/activitiesbased on his/her academic performance ( Sec.4.1-4.4). In fact the Faculty Advisor may evenadvise a reduced load programme over severalsemesters for students with poor performanceat the end of the first semester/year.
3.2 Procedure for Registration
The Institute generally has an onlineregistration system and the registration is
normally done on the first two days of eachsemester and the summer term. Theregistration schedule is announced in theAcademic Calendar. In all circumstances,registration must be completed on or beforethe prescribed last date for registration.Students having outstanding dues to theInstitute or a hostel shall not be permitted toregister.
3.2.1 Online Registration
On-line registration process involves filling upof an online Course Registration Form (CRF)stating the courses and project / seminar etc.,that the student proposes to complete duringthat semester as per the prescribed curriculum.This should be done in consultation with theFaculty Advisor, who finally approves theregistration. Unless this procedure iscompleted, registration will be consideredinvalid. All students without backlogs will doonline registration.
3.2.2 Manual Registration
Students’ having backlog course /(s) is/arerequired to do manual registration by filling upthe Course Registration Form (CRF) which willbe made available to them by the AcademicOffice, through their Faculty Advisor. Thestudent should duly complete the CRF, statingthe courses and project / seminar etc. that s/he proposes to complete during that semesteras per the prescribed curriculum, inconsultation with the Faculty Advisor, get itapproved by him/her and then submit the sameto the Academic Office within the stipulateddate for registration.
Students belonging to Category V ( SeeSec.4.1) and those with four or more backlogsshould additionally submit, along with thecourse registration form, a revised schedulefor the succeeding semesters stating how thebacklog courses will be cleared, in consultationwith the Faculty Advisor.
3.2.3 Late Registration
Only for valid reasons, late registration maybe permitted till the date specified in theAcademic Calendar, on payment of a lateregistration fee.
3.2.4 Registration for the first twosemesters
In each of the first two semesters, coursescommon to all branches are generally offered.
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A student is normally required to register for allthe courses listed in the curriculum for thesetwo semesters. (In fact, all students areautomatically registered for the first semester.In the second semester, as for subsequentsemesters, students themselves have tocomplete the registration formalities. Students,who are identified as academically weak at theend of first semester, may be prescribed areduced load. Such students are required todo manual registration only.
3.2.5 Registration for third andsubsequent semesters
From third semester onwards, registration isdependent on the academic standing of thestudent (Sec.4.1). A student with an academicstanding of Category I, II or III registers for theacademic load specified for that semester bythe Department. In addition s/he may add onemore course (6/8 credits) towards additionallearning or to clear backlog courses, withoutthis being considered an overload (Sec.4.5).
Students with poor academic standing(Category IV or V) are advised not to attemptfull load. Faculty Advisors after careful scrutinywill advise reduced loads depending onprevious performance. Every student howeveris required to register for a minimum of 18credits in any semester, (Sec.4.3)
3. 3 Registration for Non-creditcourses
3.3.1 Registrations for NCC/ NSO / NSS
One of the activities, NCC, NSO or NSS, is amandatory requirement (Ref.2.3.4.1). Studentsare expected to complete these requirementsduring the first year (first two semesters).Formal registration for any one of theseactivities must be done along with othercourses, at the beginning in the first twosemesters. The choice of the activity will bedone on the basis of the aptitude of the studentfor any one of these activities and will bedecided by a committee constituted for thepurpose. Once registered for one of theseactivities, no change will be permitted at a laterstage. In case of award of a NP (not passed)grade, students are required to re-register forthese activities in the subsequent semesters.This requirement must be completed before the
end of the second year. In case valid reasonsexist, a student may be given specialpermission for completion of this requirementbeyond second year.
In addition to the above mandatoryrequirements, the students are permitted totake NSS/NSO/NCC in subsequent years too,if they have special interest. This will bementioned in the transcript (Sec.5.10.4)
3.3.2 Registration for Practical Training(PT)
The practical training will be arranged for eachstudent by the respective coordinator of theDepartment to which the student belongs.Independent arrangements by students forpractical training should get the prior approvalof coordinator/DUGC.
The students who have completed their 8weeks of Practical Training (Ref. 2.3.4.2) arerequired to register for Practical Training in thesemester following the completion of thePractical Training.
After the Practical Training, each student hasto submit a written report, along with completioncertificate from the organization where s/hereceived the training, within a week of thecommencement of the semester following thecompletion of the PT. The PT coordinator willevaluate the PT and submit the grade as perthe academic calendar.
3.3.3 Registration for Works Visit
If a Department specifies works visit as amandatory requirement for the degree, thestudent registers for the same in theappropriate semester. Since works visitinvolves logistics like permission fromenterprises for the visit, transport arrangementsetc., a student can only register for works visitin the semester (autumn or spring) specified.
3.4 Registration for Projects
3. 4.1 Registration for B.Tech. Projects(BTPs)
Registration for B.Tech. Projects (BTPs) asspecified in the curriculum, is similar to that forany other course. The details of allotment oftopics, faculty supervisors etc., is specified bythe concerned Department before thecommencement of the semester.
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3.4.2 Registration for Dual DegreeProjects (DDPs)
i. The total duration for the DDP is fourteenmonths. DDP consists of two stages.Registration for Stage I (30-36 credits) isnormally at the beginning of the summerafter the 8th semester and for stage II (36-42 credits) in the beginning of thesucceeding spring semester (10th
semester). The duration of Stage I includeboth the summer and the succeedingautumn semester, and that for Stage IIincludes the spring and the succeedingsummer semester. In case of deferment dueto backlogs etc., the registration for the twostages will be in the beginning of the springand autumn semesters. The durations arecorrespondingly spring and summer, andautumn and till the end of February of thesucceeding spring semester, respectively.Special cases if any will be taken up on acase-to-case basis by the UGAPEC, uponthe recommendation of the DUGC.
ii. Each Dual Degree student registering in thesummer after the eighth semester shall begiven a topic for the project work by the endof the eighth semester. Similarly for thoseregistering in spring, the topic will be givenby the end of the preceding autumnsemester.
iii. Each Dual Degree student should have amember of the faculty as a supervisor. Inaddition, Co-supervisor/(s) from the sameDepartment/ other Department / IDP Group/ Centre / School may be co-opted by thesupervisor with the approval of the DUGC.If the supervisor is not from the samedepartment as the student, a co-supervisorfrom the Department is necessary.
iv. Whenever a supervisor leaves the Institutepermanently / temporarily, the DUGC shallmake alternative arrangements forguidance during the supervisor’s absence.
Requirements for the DDP and the evaluationprocedures are given in Sec.5.5.2
3.4.3 Registration for 5year IntegratedM.Sc. Project
The 5 year Integrated M.Sc. project consistsof two stages. Registration for Stage I (12credits) is done in the 9th semester (Autumn)and Stage II (18) credits) is done in the 10th
semester (Spring). The duration of the projectis spread over a semester. In case of defermentdue to backlogs etc., the registration can bedone in the succeeding semesters onrecommendation of the DUGC and approvalof the Dean of Academic Programmes. Thetopics for the project work will normally beassigned towards the end of the pre-final yearby the Project Coordinator of the Departmentand the work is done during both the semestersof the final year. Students are assigned projectwork as per the schedule mentioned in theAcademic Calendar after its approval by theirrespective Faculty Advisor/ DUGC. At the endof the first stage, the student is required tosubmit a preliminary report of his work by aprescribed date (as per academic calendar) tothe Co-coordinator and present it to a Panel ofExaminers. Registration for second stage issubject to satisfactory completion of the firststage.
3.5 Course Adjustment/Dropping ofcourses
1 The Academic Calendar sets a date, normallytwo weeks after the commencement of thesemester, for Course Adjustment. On orbefore this date, a student is permitted tomake adjustments in her/his academic loadby addition or deletion of one or morecourses, projects etc., provided the totalcredits do not exceed the overload rule(Sec.4.5) or fall below 18 credits, by suchadjustments. Course adjustment has to bedone in consultation with the FacultyAdvisor. When the need for courseadjustment through addition, substitution ordropping of course/s arises, the studentwithout any backlog should do online courseadjustment and students with backlogcourse/s should do it manually by filling aCourse Adjustment Form (CAF). CAF hasto be signed by both the student and theFaculty Advisor and submitted to theAcademic Office.
2 If in the second or any of the subsequentsemesters, a student finds her/his academic
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load too heavy, s/he may drop one or twocourses out of the registered ones on advicefrom the Faculty Advisor, provided theminimum credit requirements (18 credits) isfulfilled. The last date for such drops istypically 10 days after the end of the mid-semester examination, and is set in theAcademic Calendar. It is expected that theresults of the mid-semester examination willbe known within seven days of the end ofthe examination.
3 Course/s dropped by a student may be takenduring a subsequent semester or during thesummer term (if offered).
3.6 Dropping of a Semester:
1. A student may opt/be advised to drop anentire semester, with prior approval ofDUGC/UGAPEC due to the followingreasons:
i. During a registered semester, if a studentfinds that s/he is unable to cope up withthe studies and/or does not have sufficientexposure to most of the coursesregistered in that semester due to severehealth problem or some other validreasons beyond her/his control, s/he canopt to drop the entire semester, on advicefrom the Faculty Advisor and withpermission from the DUGC/UGAPEC(Sec.3.5).
ii. A student may seek a semester drop, dueto severe personal health problem,unavoidable family commitments or othervalid reasons beyond her/his control, onadvice from the Faculty Advisor and withpermission from the DUGC/UGAPEC,prior to the commencement of thesemester itself.
iii. A student wants to work in an industry,an enterprise or a social serviceorganization to gain valuable workexperience.
2. In all cases of severe health problems,medical certificate issued by IIT Hospital isessential. If however, the medical certificateis issued by other hospitals/privatepractitioners, the certificates should be dulyauthenticated by the SMO, IIT Hospital. Inall other cases, requests for dropping thesemester should be accompanied bysupporting documents as required.
3. A student will be not permitted to drop asemester after the award of XX /II grade/(s)and / or semester end examination.
4. If a student drops the semester aftercommencement of the semester, the feespaid will not be refunded and/or adjusted inthe subsequent semester. If the studentdrops the semester prior to thecommencement of the semester, s/he hasto pay a semester continuation feeprescribed from time to time.
5. Such break from studies is normaly notpermitted for a continuous period in excessof one year.
6. Not registering for any semester before thelast date for registration without priorapproval of the UGAPEC will result in theUGAPEC recommending termination of thestudentship (See Sec.7.3)
7. Hostel accommodation and otherinstitutional facilities will not be extended inany semester for which the student has notregistered.
3.7 Registration for AdditionalCourses: ( M i n o r ,Honors, etc.)
As mentioned in Sec. 2.5, opportunities areprovided for students to enhance their learningexperience through earning additional credits.Extra credits (30 credits) earned in specifiedfocused areas can also lead to earning anHonors ( in ones own discipline) or a Minor ( inother disciplines).
Starting from the third semester, students whoare not academically weak (see Sec.5.1, 5.2)are permitted to take one course equivalentevery semester in addition to the prescribedcourses for their degree, as mentioned earlier,subject to availability of seats in the course.A student has to pre-register for the course s/he intends to take towards the end of theprevious semester and seats will be allottedbased on the academic performance of thestudent towards the basic requirement of his/her degree. A student has to enter this extracourse too in the course registration form, whenpermitted.
One should note that there is no specificregistration for either the Honours or theMinor. One accumulates the required creditsduring the course of the programme, and theadditional credential is awarded if the criteria
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set for them are met when the studentgraduates.
In any semester, a student cannot register foronly those courses which form part of her/hisadditional learning component. There shouldat least be one course component that isspecified as the minimum requirement of thedegree. Moreover, a student cannot overstayin the programme once the minimumrequirements prescribed for the degree arecompleted.
3.8 Summer course registration
Students can register for courses duringsummer (See Sec.5.8) up to a maximum 18credits depending on their academic standing,on payment of registration fee at prescribedrates. A course will run during summer provideda faculty member is available for running thecourse and a minimum of 5 students areregistered for the course. The SummerSemester typically runs for 8 weeks, duringMay-July. The total number of contact hoursfor the courses remains the same as that duringthe regular semesters, and therefore thecourses run at accelerated pace. Theevaluation and grading patterns also remain thesame as during the regular semesters.
3.9 Role of the Faculty Advisor inRegistration
On joining the Institute, a student or a group ofstudents is/are assigned to a Faculty Advisor.The students are expected to consult theFaculty Advisor on any matter relating to theiracademic performance and the courses theymay take in various semesters / summer terms.The idea of a Faculty Advisor has been evolvedto extend guidance to the students enablingthem to complete their courses of study for therequired degree in a smooth and satisfactorymanner. With the introduction of theopportunities for additional academicaccomplishments, planning of the individual’academic journey needs careful considerationand constant consultation with the FacultyAdvisors is imperative. Thus, the role of theFaculty Advisor is of immense importance. TheFaculty Advisor is the person whom theparents/guardians should contact forperformance related issues of their ward.
(For more details please refer page No. 31)
4. SPECIAL FEATURES IN REGISTRATION
The curriculum has special features that astudent must be aware of while registering forcourses. These include institute core courses,department core and elective courses, non-departmental courses, minor and honoursoptions. Registration for courses depend on theacademic standing of the student, as explainedin this section. The registration for backlogcourses and audit courses are also explainedin this section.
4.1 Academic Standing :
Depending on the overall academicperformance of a student till date, especiallyin the two preceding regular semesters(Autumn and Spring) registered, academicstanding of the student is decided. Theperformance in courses registered inaddition to the prescribed minimumrequirement for the degree is not taken intoconsideration while determining theacademic standing. ( Here, failed coursesrefer to courses in which a FR or a XX gradehas been awarded. A NP (not passed) gradeis not counted towards failed courses in thecontext of determining the academic standing)
Categorization of the academic standing of astudent is as follows :
Category I : Excellent Standing : A studentwho has no backlog courses (failed courseswhich have not been cleared subsequently ordropped courses), and has a CPI equal to orgreater than 8.0, subject to having cleared thetotal number of credits prescribed upto thatsemester in his/her discipline..
Category II : Satisfactory Standing : Astudent who has registered for at least 18credits in each of the two preceding regularregistered semesters and not failed in anycourse in these two semesters.
Category III : A student who has not failed inmore than one course in the two precedingregular registered semesters, subject to havingearned at least 18 credits in each of thesemesters.
Category IV : A student who has failed in morethan one course in the two preceding regularregistered semesters, but has earned at least18 credits in each of the semesters.
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Category V : A student who has not earned atleast 18 credits in either one of the previoustwo regular registered semesters.
Only students of standing of Category I, IIor III are permitted to register for normalload described below (Sec.4.2). Category IVand Category V students should register forlower credits as described in Sec.4.3.
4.2 Normal load
The total requirement of credits for the B. Tech.is between 252 and 264, depending on thediscipline. The average prescribed credits persemester is therefore around 33 credits. Similarsemester credits are prescribed for IntegratedM.Sc. students too.
In the first semester of the first year, the normalsemester load is 33 or 34 credits dependingupon whether a student has registered for ME119 (5 credits) or ME 113 (4 credits). Everystudent registers for all the prescribed courses.
In the second semester of the first year, astudent of Category III, and category IV ( if notrecommended for termination, see Sec.7.3) asa special case, will be permitted to take onebacklog course in addition to the prescribedminimum, with the specific recommendation ofthe Faculty Advisor. No student will be allowedto take courses from later years in thissemester. Category V students will register forreduced load as advised by the Faculty Advisor(See Sec. 4.3)
In subsequent semesters, every student mustregister for a minimum of 18 credits eachsemester. In case a student with backlogs hascompleted most of the minimum creditrequirements, she/he may register for theremaining courses which are available in thatsemester, which may be less than 18 credits.
In these semesters, normal load for a B.Tech.or an Integrated M.Sc. student is defined asthe prescribed load for the minimumrequirement of the degree for that semesterand credits for an additional course (6-8credits), subject to
* total credit not exceeding 42 credits (44credits in case the additional course isof 8 credits), and
* theory courses not exceeding 6.
For example, the prescribed credits in semester3 for a particular discipline may be 33. Thenormal load for that discipline in the semesteris 39-41. This load is calculated by adding theprescribed credits and credits for an additionalcourse ( 6 or 8 credits). The normal loads forother semesters are to be computed alongsimilar lines. Students with academicstanding of Category I, II or III are permittedto take normal load.
Those with excellent academic standing(Category I) can, in addition, overloadthemselves to the extent of one theory courseequivalent (6 or 8 credits). That is, they canregister for two courses in addition to theprescribed load, subject to
* total credit not exceeding 48 credits (50credits in case the additional course isof 8 credits), and
* theory courses not exceeding 6.
Students belonging to excellent (Category I)and satisfactory academic standing (CategoryII) therefore can reasonably aspire to utilize theadditional learning opportunities to the fullestextent.
Category III students should use the additionalcourse permitted to clear the backlog coursesif available in the semester. If backlog coursesare not available, they can also use theopportunity for additional learning in thatsemester.
Students belonging to Category IV and V canonly register for reduced loads as described inSec. 4.3 below.
A summary of normal load for B.Tech. andInt.M.Sc students in different semesters isgiven below. The symbol X
j denotes the credits
prescribed for the semester j, 3 <= j < = 10 inher/his branch; and C is the maximum creditsassigned to any course.
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Permissible academic loads for B.Tech./Int.M.Sc students of various academicstanding.
Semester 1 2 3 to 10
Reduced load (Category V, 33 or 34 33 or 34, less one Xj, less one theory
Sec5.3)) theory course course
Prescribed Credits 33 or 34 33 or 34 Xj(For Category I,II,III,IV)
Normal load 33 or 34 33 or 34(For Category I,II,III,IV) 41 or 42 Only for X
j + C
Cat.III and IV for (subject to :see text)clearing backlog
Overload ( Category I only) 33 or 34 33 or 34 Xj + 2C(Sec. 4.4)
Dual Degree students are typically prescribed an additional theory course every semester towardsthe mandatory honours and dual degree requirements. Therefore the normal load for these studentswill be the prescribed load itself. Category II and III students from the dual degree cannot thereforeregister for courses towards additional learning.
However, from the 5th semester onwards Dual Degree students belonging to Category II and IIIand a CPI >6.5 may be allowed to take one additional course in a semester, only for the purposeof clearing backlog courses. This is done in consulation with the faculty advisor and prior approvalof the UGAPEC.
Students belonging to Category IV and V can only register for reduced loads as described in Sec.5.3 below.
Category I students can take one course extra as an over load towards additional learning (Sec.5.5)
A summary of normal load for Dual Degree students in different semesters is given below. Thesymbol Y
j denotes the credits prescribed for the semester j, 3 <= j < = 10 in her/his branch; and C
is the maximum credits assigned to any course.
Permissible academic loads for Dual Degree students of various academic standing.
Semester 1 2 3 to 10
Reduced load 33 or 34 33 or 34, Yj, less two theory less
(Category V, Sec5.3)) one theory course courses
Prescribed Credits 33 or 34 33 or 34 Yj , less one theory
(For Category I,II,III,IV) course
Normal load 33 or 34 33 or 34 Yj (Catergory II and III
(For Category I, II, III IV) 41 or 42 Only for permitted to register forCat.III and IV for 1 backlog courseclearing backlog
Overload 33 or 34 33 or 34 Yj + C
( Category I only)
(Sec4.4)
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4.3. Reduced Load for Category IV andCategory V students
B.Tech. and Int.M.Sc. students belonging tocategory IV status can only register for a totalof credits equivalent to the prescribed creditsfor that semester in her/his discipline (X
j in the
table above). (This normally would mean fourtheory courses and one or two labs. etc.). Theycannot register for the additional 6-8 creditspermitted for students with Category I, II andIII standing.
Students belonging to category V status canonly register for those many credits which areat least one theory course equivalent less thanthe credits prescribed for that semester in her/his discipline, subject to a minimum of 18credits. ( This normally would mean three theorycourses and one or two labs. etc.).
Dual degree students of Category IV andCategory V are advised to register for one andtwo theory courses, respectively, less than theirprescribed load, and as advised by the facultyadvisor.
All students in Category V should submit arevised schedule along with the courseregistration form, in consultation with theFaculty Advisor, for the succeeding semestersstating how the backlog courses will be cleared.
Students have to register for the backlogcourses before registering for other courses, ifthose courses are available in that semester.However, Faculty Advisor can recommendexceptions to avoid cascading effects due toprerequisites for other courses.
All students in Category III, IV and V will domanual registration.
4.4 Overload
Student with Excellent Academic Standing(Category I) may be permitted to take onecourse per semester, in addition to the normalload, as overload, subject to a maximum of 6theory courses. There shall be no relaxation ofthe CPI criterion for the additional overload. Achange of status from Credit to Audit in respectof such courses may be allowed up to the mid-semester examination with the prior approvalof the UGAPEC. Overloading of courses issubject to time-table constraints.
Since this overloading can lead to poor overallperformance in terms of SPI, CPI etc., thisshould be done after careful consideration anddiscussion with the Faculty Advisor.
4.5 Carrying backlogs forward
Attempts are made in the programme to givean early opportunity to register for the backlogcourse for students who fail a course in a givensemester. This is provided in the newcurriculum in two ways.
4.5.1 Offering of core courses in bothsemesters
The Institute core courses are expected to beoffered in both the semesters, so that a studentcan register for a backlog course in theimmediate next semester. For department levelcore courses, particularly those that formprerequisites for courses which follow, theprocedure of offering the course in bothsemesters, is to be adopted. This gives astudent a second attempt to clear a backlogcore course in the immediate succedingsemester.
4.5.2 Summer courses
Some courses may be offered in summer(Sec.4.10) and students can register for theseto clear backlogs.
4.5.3 Normal load accommodates creditsfor an additional course
As mentioned in Section 4.1, B.Tech./Int.M.Sc.students with standing Category I,II or III canregister for an additional course every semesteras part of their normal load. Students ofCategory III therefore can clear backlogcourses at the earliest opportunity, withoutdropping courses.
For department core courses that are notpossible to be offered in both semesters, theFaculty Advisor may advise the studentsappropriately for dropping the backlog coursein favor of some other course in order to avoida cascading effect in subsequent semesters.The Faculty Advisors and DUGCs wouldexercise special care and assist the studentsin this regard.
4.6 Audit course
A student wanting just an exposure to a course,without the rigors of obtaining a good grade,
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‘audits’ a course. The minimum requirement isnormally 80% attendance, with any additionalrequirements as set by the instructor such assubmission of assignments and minimumperformance in some of the in-sem evaluations.The grade awarded is ‘AU’ which does not carryany grade points and therefore does not figurein SPI/CPI calculations. However, this wouldbe restricted to a maximum of two (2) coursesin the entire period of the programme. Auditingof courses during a regular semesters andsummer term is permitted under the followingconditions:
i. Students in Category I and II with CPI > 6.0will be permitted to ‘Audit’ a course. A coursecan be audited provided the course is offeredin the semester as a credit course for others,and there is no slot clash. Prior permissionof the Instructor is required.
ii. The students have to enter the courses tobe audited in the Course Registration Formwhile registering for the semester. Thecourse will not carry any credits. The word“Audit” would be specially mentioned in theremarks column of the student’s courseregistration form.
iii. The ‘AU’ grade would be awarded by theinstructor, if the attendance is satisfactoryand additional requirements as set out bythe instructor are met. If the attendance andperformance is not satisfactory, the instructorwill award a NP grade.
iv. The course successfully completed in Auditmode will not be considered towards therequirement of Minor/Honors.
v. The course successfully completed in Auditmode will be reflected in the Semester GradeReport and the Transcript as Audit Course.
4.7 Registration for Postgraduate levelcourses
B.Tech. students belonging to category I andII with a CPI > 6.5 may be permitted to registerfor some post-graduate level courses as credit/audit course from fifth semester onwards, if theyare specifically offered to them. Priorpermission of the Instructor concerned isrequired for registration for these courses.However, no relaxation in the CPI criterion isallowed.
The students of Dual Degree and the 5 yearintegrated M.Sc. Programmes, from the fifthsemester onwards, are permitted to registerfor PG level elective courses without anyrestrictions.
4.8 Guided Study
Guided Study is doing courses out side thecurriculum in the self-study like mode, duringa regular semester. A student belonging to thestanding category I may be provided the optionof Guided study to acquire proficiency in anarea of his/her choice, on recommendation ofthe Faculty Advisor / project guide, DUGC andapproval of UGAPEC. Guided Study will beavailable to the extent of a maximum of onecourse per semester with effect from the thirdsemester, subject to a maximum of fourcourses in the entire programme. This optionis strictly subject to the availability andwillingness of the instructor offering the course.Guided Study and URA (Sec.8) will not runconcurrently, and the rules that governoverloading apply strictly even for thesecourses. These courses can be consideredtowards Minor / Honors, if so specified by theconcerned academic unit. Registration,Examination / Evaluation and submission ofgrade etc. in case of guided study will also begoverned in the similar way as other coursesof the curriculum.
The option of guided study may also be madeavailable, by the UGAPEC, in the followingsituations, on a case-by-case basis:
(a) Students who miss the ‘DepartmentalIntroductory Course’ due to a change ofbranch obtained at the end of First year,
(b) Students who are transferred from otherIITs and as a result have to do certainadditional courses.
4.9 Course Substitution
In case a student obtains FR/XX grades ordrops courses due to valid reason, s/he maylike to substitute courses in order to completethe requirements within the stipulated duration.Following is the guideline for coursesubstitution. :
i. Course substitution is not permitted for CoreCourses, may it be an institute core courseor departmental core course. The studenthas to re-register the same course andcomplete.
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ii. An Institute elective course may besubstituted by another Institute electivecourse from the same group.
iii. A departmental elective course may besubstituted by another departmental electivecourse from the same group.
4.10 Summer Course/(s)
The summer term is not a regular semester.However, during a summer term, an academicentity may offer a summer course to enablethe students to clear their backlog courses and/or regular credit courses, subject to strictadherence to the following guidelines.
i. The course instructor/(s) / faculty/(ies)should be willing to offer the course. TheDUGC should recommend offering of sucha summer course for consideration andapproval of the Dean of AcademicProgrammes. The course is offered onapproval of the Dean of AcademicProgrammes.
ii. The course is offered with adequate rigorand in the same manner as a regularsemester course is offered.
iii. The duration of the course is eight to tenweeks. The registration, examination andassessment and grading etc. are done inthe same way as is done for regularsemester courses. The total number ofcontact hours for the courses remains thesame as that during the regular semesters,and therefore, the courses run ataccelerated pace. (for example 6 hours ofinstructions per week is expected for a 3-0-0 course) The Academic Calendar in thisconnection are strictly followed.
iv. 80 % attendance is compulsory. Inabsence of which the instructor has to offerFR grade.
v. Minimum 5 students should register for aparticular summer course to be offered.
vi. At the most, a student is permitted toregister upto 18 credits during any onesummer term.
vii. Courses offered in a summer term will betreated as equivalent to a regular semestercourses for all accounting purposes.
5. EXAMINATION / ASSESSMENT
Semester wise performance assessment ofevery registered student is done throughvarious modes of examinations. These includequizzes, class tests, home assignments, groupassignments, viva-voce, Mid-SemesterExamination and Semester-End Examination.The Instructor will announce the modes ofevaluation and distribution of weightage foreach of the assessments at the beginningof the course.
Various modes of assessment for theory andlaboratory courses along with therecommended relative weightage of variouscomponents are given in this section. A largedeparture from the recommended modes ofassessments and weightage will require priorapproval from the Dean of AcademicProgrammes.
5.1 Attendance
Attendance in the class is compulsory and ismonitored. The Institute expects 100%attendance. However, due to ill-health or otheremergency situations, absence up to 20% isconsidered on case to case basis on productionof documentary proof. A student not having80% attendance is debarred from appearingin the semester-end examination and given a“XX” grade. Such a student is required to re-register for the same course in subsequentsemesters. The attendance requirement isapplicable to summer courses too.
5.2 Modes of Evaluation for TheoryCourses
1. Various modes of assessment used for ratingstudents’ performance in a theory courseinclude quizzes, class tests, homeassignments, group assignments, viva-voce,mid-semester test and semester-endexamination. Relative weightage for in-semester evaluations is typically between 50and 60 per cent. This will consist of one mid-semester test of two hours duration, of about25-30 per cent weightage, to be held as perthe schedule fixed in the Academic Calendar.Two quizzes or one quiz and one test alongwith assignments and viva-voce shall make upthe rest of the in-semester assessment. TheInstructor may also set aside up to a maximumof 10 per cent of the in-semester marks foractive participation in the class and theinitiatives shown by the student. Make-up for
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any absence from in-semester evaluations likemidsem/tests/quizzes will be at the discretionof the Instructor. Instructor needs to beconvinced that the reasons for absence aregenuine.
2. The semester – end examination will be heldas per the Academic Calendar and the relativeweightage for this would be 40 to 50 per cent.It is normally of 3 hours duration and will coverthe full syllabus of the course. The semester-end examination is mandatory. Theinstructor awards an “II” grade for thosestudents not appearing for the Semester-endexamination, if they have sufficient attendanceand satisfactory in-semester performance.Such students are eligible for a Semester-endre-examination only on medical grounds/validreasons (Sec. 5.8), AND on production ofmedical certificate issued / authenticated bySMO, IIT Bombay Hospital, or other supportingdocuments as the case requires. Theapplication must be submitted to the AcademicOffice before the last date for registration forsuch re-examination announced in theAcademic Calendar. (See also Sec. 5.7(V).
5.3 Modes of Evaluation forLaboratory Courses
The assessment in a laboratory course will bebased on turn-to-turn supervision of thestudent’s work, her/his performance in viva-voce examinations and group discussions, thequality of their work as prescribed throughlaboratory journals and a semester-end test thatcontains an experiment or a writtenexamination. In-semester work will normallycarry 75% and the semester-end test 25%weightage respectively. It is obligatory tomaintain a laboratory journal as prescribed bythe course instructor. Final examination forlaboratory courses will normally be held a weekbefore the final theory examinations. In case ofabsence from Semester-end examination, thesame rule as those for theory courses isapplicable.
5.4 Modes of Evaluation for Seminars
Seminars are evaluated based on a writtenreport, and an oral presentation before a panelof examiners appointed by the DUGC/Department. The supervisor /co-supervisor,when involved, are part of the panel. Grades
carrying grade points are awarded as in thecase of theory and laboratory courses basedon the quality of the report and performance inthe presentation. The evaluation of theseminars is completed and the gradessubmitted to the academic office (one-week)before the commencement of the end-semester examination.
5.5 Modes of Evaluation for Projects
As described in section 2, B.Tech project isnot an Institute requirement. However, somedepartments may make it as the departmentrequirement for the degree, and some mightmake it only as a component of the Honorsrequirement. Whereas for Dual DegreeProgramme and the Integrated M.Sc.programme, the project is the requiredcomponent for the award of degree. As thecase may be the separate modes ofassessment are mentioned hereunder.
5.5.1 B.Tech Project :
B.Tech. Project may be offered as one unit asBTP, or two independent units as BTP-I andBTP-II. Wherever it is split into two units, BTP-II builds on BTP-I, and BTP-I becomes a pre-requisite for BTP-II. Departments mayprescribe a minimum performance in BTP-I(which may be higher than the pass grade ‘DD’)for being eligible for BTP-II. BTP-I and BTP-IIare separately graded, at the end of therespective semesters.
These projects are supervised, and needregular interaction (at least once a week) withthe supervisor. Student has to submit a projectreport and defend it in front of a panel ofexaminers. The dates for submission ofreports, the dates for presentations, and detailsof mode of assessment are decided by theindividual departments. The grades are sentto the Academic office before the last date forsubmission of grades.
In case of irregularity of interactions, thesupervisor may award an “XX” grade beforethe last date for submission of the report. An“II” grade may be awarded if the student missesthe presentation. S/he is granted a secondchance for presentation, if the basis forabsence is valid and the conditions specifiedin Sec.5.2 are complied with.
5.5.2 Dual Degree Projects :
a) The following is the schedule for the DDPassessments:
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b) For evaluation of DDP stage-I, the studenthas to submit a report (two or three copiesas required) to the respective department onor just before one week from the date ofassessment as specified in the Academiccalendar. Evaluation will be done, by a panelappointed by the DUGC, based on the reportand (i) either an across-the-table discussionand viva-voce or (ii) seminar presentation.The panel shall consist of the supervisor(s)and at least one more faculty member, toact as examiners.
c) For evaluation of DDP stage-II, the studenthas to submit 4 or 5 (one for co-supervisor)soft bound Dissertation reports to therespective departments on or before oneweek from the date specified in theAcademic Calendar. The evaluation will bedone by a Board of Examiners based on thereport and a viva-voce. The viva-voce willbe conducted by the parent department.Final Grade reports are to be sent by theDepartment to the Academic Section oncompletion of the viva-voce, as per the datespecified in the Academic Calendar.
4. An External Examiner chosen from the panelapproved by the DUGC, or an additionalInternal Examiner.
e) The minimum passing grade in each stageof the project assessment shall be “CC”.
f) In case a student gets a fail grade (belowCC) in any of the project assessment, s/heshould carry out additional work /modification etc., as suggested by the paneland appear for assessment within onemonth from the date of previousassessments. At this assessments heshould not be given a grade higher than“CC”.
g) When a student is unable to submit thereport by the required date due to validreasons, it is necessary for him/her to makea specific request to the UGAPEC forextension, through the supervisor andDUGC, stating (i) the reasons for delay,(ii) the expected date of submission (iii)pay the institute fee for the next semesterand (iv) formally register for thatsemester if not done so in the normal
Registration for Dual Degree Project is at the beginning of Spring Semester (January):
Stage I Assessment (30-36 Credits) - - - First September to 31st October.
Stage II Assessment (36 Credits) - - - 30 April to 30 June.
The project reports need to be submitted 7-15 days before the date of evaluation, but not earlier.
Special cases not covered by the above schedules will be taken up by UGAPEC on case-by-case basis,upon the recommendations of DUGC.
d) The Board of Examiners for DDP stage-IIassessment is appointed by the Convener,DUGC, and will consist of the following:
1. A Professor or an Associate Professor of theInstitute as Chairperson. The Chairpersonshould be from a Department/IDP Group/Center/School other than the parentdepartment of the student.
2. The supervisor(s) or in their absence anotherfaculty member of the departmentconversant with the subject.
3. A Faculty Member from the Instituteconversant with the subject as InternalExaminer.
course. The maximum grade awarded willbe restricted to “BC” for such cases, unlessextension had been granted by Convener,UGAPEC.
h) After registering for DDP (either of thestages), a student should not take up anyother assignment (paid or unpaid) beforesubmitting her/his dissertation.
i) After the Dissertation is assessed, a hardbound copy of the final Dissertation alongwith duly completed forms is to be submittedto the Academic office. Soft copies of theSynopsis and the final Dissertation properare to be submitted to the Central Library.
j) When the student neither drops the projectin time and does not submits the project
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report for assessment by the due date norrequest extension from the UGAPEC, s/hewill be temporarily awarded ‘II’ grade at thetime of finalization of grades for all the otherstudents. The ‘II’ grade will be converted toa performance grade not higher than BCwhen such a student submits her/his report,though late, and undergo the oralexamination. Thus students submitting theirproject reports late will only be entitled tothe grades BC,CC,CD,DD and FR after theoral assessment. Further, if such late reportsare not submitted within a reasonable periodof time (by the end of the SummerSemester), the ‘II’ grade will be automaticallyconverted to ‘FR’. Students who obtain FRin the final (second stage) assessment willbe required to re-register for the secondstage in the subsequent semester.
5.5.3 Integrated M.Sc. Project
Integrated M.Sc. project work is normally donein two stages, each spread over a semester.At the end of the first stage, the student isrequired to submit a preliminary report of hiswork by a prescribed due date to thecoordinator and present it to a Panel ofExaminers. The second stage of the work iscontinued in the following semester.
Submission of the integrated M.Sc. projectcannot be postponed beyond the date specifiedin the calendar. If the project cannot becompleted due to ill-health or other bonafidereasons, the course can be dropped inconsultation with the Faculty Advisor, theproject coordinator and the guide on or beforethe last date for dropping of courses. Are-registration for the same is required in thefollowing semester in which it should becompleted.
When a student is unable to submit the reportfor assessment by the prescribed date due tovalid reasons, it is necessary for him/her tomake a specific request to the UGAPEC forextension, through the project guide andDUGC, stating (i) the reasons for delay, (ii)the expected date of submission (iii) pay theinstitute fee for the next semester and (iv)formally register for that semester if notdone so in the normal course. The maximumgrade awarded will be restricted to “BC” for
such cases, unless extension had beengranted by Convener, UGAPEC.
When the student neither drops the project intime and does not submits the project reportfor assessment by the due date nor requestextension from the UGAPEC, s/he will betemporarily awarded ‘II’ grade at the time offinalization of grades for all the other students.The ‘II’ grade will be converted to aperformance grade not higher than BC whensuch a student submits her/his report, thoughlate, and undergo the oral examination. Thusstudents submitting their project reports latewill only be entitled to the gradesBC,CC,CD,DD and FR after the oralassessment. Further, if such late reports arenot submitted within a reasonable period oftime (by the end of the Summer Semester),the ‘II’ grade will be automatically converted to‘FR’. Students who obtain FR in the final(second stage) assessment will be required tore-register for the second stage in thesubsequent semester.
Student should submit 4 soft-bound typedcopies of integrated M.Sc. Project Report andafter successfully defending the Project Reportat the viva-voce examination; the original copyof the Project Report is to be submitted in hard-bound form to the coordinator.
5.6 Non-credit requirements :
Non-credit requirements are assessed as Pass(PP)/ Not Pass (NP) subject to the fulfillmentof the minimum requirements of these activitiesand a minimum of 80% attendance. The awardof degree is subject to successful completionof these activities.
5.6.1 NCC/NSO/NSS
A student will be awarded PP (Pass) grade forany one of these activities s/he is registeredfor, in that semester, provided the minimumrequirement is met during that semestertogether with attendance criteria. Not satisfyingthese requirements will result in a fail gradeNP (Not Pass), and the student has to re-register for the activity in the next semester.The grades are sent to the academic officebefore the commencement of the semester-end examination. The award of the degree issubject to the successful completion of NCC/NSO/NSS.
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5.6.2 Practical Training
A student will be awarded PP (Pass) / NP (NotPass) after completion of 8 weeks of PracticalTraining. The student has to registerimmediately in the semester following thecompletion of the PT and submit a report alongwith the completion certificate from theorganization/s where s/he received the training.The effective benefit gained by the student isassessed through a viva-voce conducted by thePT coordinator and/or the report. The gradesare sent to the academic office within onemonth from the date of registration.
5.6.3 Works Visit
The grading for the works visit is done by thecoordinator from the concerned departmentbased on attendance, participation indiscussions during the visit and any furthercriteria set by the department. Accordingly, a(PP) Pass /NP (Not Pass) grade is awarded bythe coordinator. The grades are sent to theacademic office before the commencement ofthe semester-end examination.
5.7 Grading
i. Indian Institute of Technology Bombayfollows grading system. Based on thecombined performance in all assessments,the student is awarded a letter grade in everycourse taken by him/her in a particularsemester as per the curriculum. These lettergrades not only indicate a qualitativeassessment of the student’s performancebut also carry a quantitative (numeric)equivalent called the Grade Point. The lettergrades and their equivalent grade point aregiven below:
Letter Grade Grade Point
AP 10
AA 10
AB 9
BB 8
BC 7
CC 6
CD 5
DD 4
FR 0 (Fail- Repeat the course)
Letter Grade Grade Point
XX 0 (Attendance below 80% -Repeat the course)
PP Pass
NP Not Pass
AU Audit
II Incomplete (place holder,awarded on medicalgrounds; gets converted to
an appropriate grade afterSemester end re-examination)
DR* Dropped* DR is not a grade but only a position holder
indicating that the course has been dropped and ithas to be cleared in subsequent semesters.
A student passes the course if he/she getsany grade in the range of “AP” to “DD”(“AU” in the case of an audit course, butfails if he/she gets the grade “FR” and/or“XX”. “II” and “DR” are place holders. “II”is awarded temporarily on medical groundsand gets converted to an appropriate gradeafter the Semester end re-examination.Where as “DR” indicates that the course hasbeen dropped and it has to be cleared insubsequent semesters.
ii. The grade “AP” indicates exceptionalperformance and is awarded only in theCourse/(s) in which the number of registeredstudents is more than 50. It should notexceed 2 % of the total strength of theparticular theory or lab course. The grade“AP” is not awarded for projects / seminars.
iii. “FR” grade will be awarded in case/(s)where, in the opinion of the instructor (panelof examiners in the case of projects), thestudent has inadequate academic exposureto the course / has very poor performancein the in-semester and/or semester-endexaminations. ‘’FR’’ can also be awardedany time during the semester for any kindof academic malpractices. In such casesthe course instructor will immediately reportalong with the award of “FR” grade to theDean of Academic Programmes throughDUGC. The Dean (AP) may refer thematter to the Disciplinary ActionCommittee (DAC) for further action, ifneeded.
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iv. The grade “XX” in a course is awarded if (i)a student does not maintain the minimum80% attendance in the Lecture/Tutorialclasses, or (ii) severely incomplete in-semester evaluation record due to non-medical reasons (for example when astudent has missed all tests and midsem),(iii) incomplete assignment submissions etc..The XX grade will be declared one weekbefore semester-end examination andintimated to the academic office immediatelythereafter. A student with “XX” grade in agiven course is not permitted to take thesemester-end examination. The “XX”grade is treated as “FR” for the purposeof CPI calculation, and requires re-registration for the course.
v. ‘II’ is awarded in a lecture/laboratory courseif a student has satisfactory in-semesterperformance and has fulfilled the 80%attendance requirement, but has notappeared for the semester-end examinationdue to medical reasons. Such students areeligible for a make up for the Semester-endexamination only on medical grounds / validreasons AND on production of medicalcertificate issued / authenticated by SMO,IIT Bombay Hospital or other supportingdocuments as required. The applicationmust be submitted to the Academic Office,for consideration by UGAPEC, before thelast date for registration for such make-upexamination announced in the AcademicCalendar. (See Sec.3.5 and 3.6 for fulldetails). For a student present in thesemester-end re-examination, the instructorwill award a regular performance grade (AP-FR) depending on the overall performancein the course including the re-examination.If a student fails to appear for the re-examination too, the instructor will award “II”grade again. If the absence is due to medical/ valid reasons, the student must submitsupporting documents as mentioned above,within seven days of the scheduled date ofthe re-examination, to the Academic Office.UGAPEC will examine such cases andconvert the “II” grade into a dropped coursestatus (“DR”) in bonafides cases. In all othercases the “II” grade will be converted to “FR”grade. In any case the “II” grade will not be
continued beyond the commencement of thesubsequent semester.
vi. There are, however, a few other academicrequirements for the programmes. Thefollowing two grades viz., “PP” (Pass) and“NP” (Not pass), will be awarded for Practicaltraining, Work visits and NCC/NSO/NSS.No grade points are associated with thesegrades and performance in these coursesis not taken into account in the calculationof the performance indices (SPI, CPI).However, the award of the degree is subjectto obtaining a “PP” (Pass) grade in all suchcourses. A student will be awarded “PP”(Pass) / “NP” (Not Pass) grade for NCC/NSO/NSS in each semester provided theminimum requirement of these activities aremet during that semester together with 80%minimum attendance, failing which the “NP”(Not Pass) grade will be awarded.
vii ‘AU’ grades are awarded for those who haveaudited a course, and adequate exposureto the contents. No grade points areassociated with this grade. It has noimplication on CPI/SPI. No grade is awardedin case of insufficient exposure to thecontents of the course.
5.8 Valid reasons for semester-endmake-up examination
Following may be considered as valid reasonsfor semester – end make-up examination:
1. Serious Illness / personal accident in thecase of the student herself/himself.
2. Serious illness / Accident / Death of parent /guardian
3. Logistic problems such as non availabilityof resources / lab. facilities / availability ofexaminer /(s) for project / seminars etc.
Students claiming semester-end re-examination (evaluation in the case of projects)on the above valid reasons are required tomake suitable application to the UGAPECbefore the prescribed last date for registrationfor such re-examination announced in theAcademic Calendar, through proper channelalong with proper medical certificate issued /authenticated by SMO, IIT Bombay Hospital.In the event of death and / or serious illness /accident of parent or guardian, the applicationshould be supported
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by adequate evidence of the same / appropriatedocuments. Decision of the convener,UGAPEC is final in these matters.
5.9 Academic Malpractice :
Academic malpractices are severely dealt with.In case of malpractice during any of thevaluations like assignments, quizzes, tests, andexaminations, the instructor can award a “FR”grade in the course immediately on occurrenceand report the matter to the Dean of AcademicProgrammes, through DUGC. If the Dean (AP)finds that the offence is serious enough, s/hemay further refer the matter to the DisciplinaryAction Committee (DAC).
5.10 SPI/CPI
5.10.1 Semester Performance Index (SPI)
The performance of a student in a semester isindicated by a number called SemesterPerformance Index, SPI. The SPI is theweighted average of the grade points obtainedin all the courses registered by the studentduring the semester. For example, if a studentpasses five courses (Theory/labs./Projects/Seminar etc.) in a semester with credits C1,C2, C3, C4 and C5 and her/his grade points inthese courses are g1, g2, g3, g4 and g5respectively, then her/his SPI is equal to:
C1g1 + C2 g2 + C3 g3 + C4 g4 + C5 g5
SPI = —————————-————-—— C1 + C2 + C3 + C4 + C5
The SPI is calculated to two decimal places.The SPI for any semester will take intoconsideration the FR/XX grades awarded inthat semester. For example if a student hasfailed in course 4, the SPI will then be computedas:
C1g1 + C2 g2 + C3 g3 + C4*ZERO+C5 g5
SPI = —————————-————-——
C1 + C2 + C3 + C4 + C5
The courses which do not form the minimumrequirement of the degrees will not beconsidered for calculation of the SPI. Suchadditional courses undertaken and the gradesearned by the student will be shown separately.
5.10.2 Cumulative Performance Index(CPI)
An up to date assessment of the overallperformance of a student from the time s/he
entered the Institute is obtained by calculatinga number called the Cumulative PerformanceIndex, CPI, in a manner similar to thecalculation of SPI. The CPI therefore considersall the courses registered by the student,towards the minimum requirement of thedegree s/he has enrolled for, since s/he enteredthe Institute. The CPI is calculated at the endof every semester to two decimal places andis indicated in semester grade reports.
The CPI will reflect the failed status in caseof FR/XX grade(s), till the course(s) is/arecleared. When the course(s) is/are clearedby obtaining a pass grade on subsequentregistration(s) the CPI will only reflect thenew grade and not the fail grades earnedearlier.
Example : Up to semester r a student hasregistered for n courses, among which s/he hasa “FR” grade in course i. The semester gradereport at the end of semester r therefore willcontain a CPI calculated as:
C1g1 + C2 g2 + C3 g3 + ..+ Ci*ZERO+..+ Cn gn
CPI = —————————-————-——C1 + C2 + C3 + ...+ Ci +…+ Cn
Even if a student has failed in a course morethan once, the course will figure only oncein the numerator as well as thedenominator.
At the end of semester r+1 s/he hasregistered for four more courses includingthe backlog course i and has cleared all thecourses including the backlog course, theCPI at the end of this semester is calculatedas
C1g1 + C2 g2 + C3 g3 + ..+ Ci*gi+..+ Cn gn
CPI = —————————-————-—— C1 + C2 + C3 + ...+ Ci +…+ Cn
The courses which do not form theminimum requirement of the degrees willnot be considered for calculation of thebasic CPI. These courses will be shownseparately, and a separate CPI will becalculated for these courses. There will alsobe a combined CPI calculated whichconsiders all the credits earned by thestudent.
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5.10.3 Semester Grade Report
At the end of each semester the semestergrade report, which reflects the performanceof the student in that semester, is prepared.This report includes the fail grades as awarded.Four copies of this report are prepared and theStudent’s copy and the Faculty Advisor’s copyis sent to the respective Faculty Advisors fortheir information and disbursement of theStudent’s copy to the concerned student. Theparent copy of the grade report will bedispatched to their respective address by theAcademic Office. The office copy of the gradereport will be retained by the Academic officefor their record. The semester grade report forthose students with “II” grade is prepared onlyafter the “II” grade is converted to a suitablegrade, after the semester – end – re-examination.
Even when a failed course is cleared in a latersemester, no new modified grade report for thatsemester in which the fail grade was awardedwill be issued.
5.10.4 Transcript: Consolidated Statementof Academic Performance
Transcript is the consolidated statement of theAcademic Performance of a student for all thesemesters since joining the programme and isgiven to a student on successful completion ofthe programme along with the degreecertificate. For those students who have takenmultiple attempts to clear a course, thetranscript given on successful completion of theprogramme will only contain earned pass grade(AP-DD, PP); the course will however be shownin the semester in which the student has finallycleared the course. The transcript will show onlythe overall CPI based on all the courses takenby the student. Additional courses will be shownseparately, indicating also the minor / honors,if any, earned by the student. Additional copiesof the transcript can be obtained if needed, onrequest and upon payment of applicable fee.
Students who have not yet completed theprogramme can obtain an Interim Transcript,if needed, on request and upon payment ofapplicable fee. The Interim Transcript includesfailed courses which have not been cleared atthe time of issue.
5.11 Display of In-semester Performance
i. In-semester performance of all students iscommunicated by the instructor to thestudents before the end-semesterexamination. Those awarded “XX” gradesas described in 5.7(iv) above will be clearlyidentified in this list.
ii. Based on the in-semester performance, theinstructor may also decide and publish a cut-off (based on the average performance ofthe class), below which the in-semesterperformance is considered ‘Unsatisfactory’.This will be the basis on which an instructormay declare a “FR” grade even when astudent is absent for the end-semesterexamination on valid grounds.
5. 12 Disclosing the Evaluated Answerscripts after Semester-endExamination.
A course instructor may allow students to seethe evaluated answer scripts at his/herdiscretion, as long as this is done beforefinalization of grades. The limit fixed for such adisclosure is three days before the last datefor receiving grades in the Academic Office.
5.13 Answer Script Retention period
Evaluated answer scripts are preserved by theInstructor/ Departmental Office for a minimumperiod of one semester.
5.14 Re-totaling of marks
Sufficient precaution is taken while evaluationof answer scripts. There is no provision of re-evaluation of evaluated answer scripts.However there is a provision for requesting are-totaling of marks in the evaluated answerscripts on payment of Rs.200/- per course.Such requests will be processed by theAcademic Office. Once grades are published,changes if any will be allowed in case oftotaling and tabulation errors only. Arequest for re-totaling must be made by thestudent to Academic Office using theprescribed form, which will be sent to theinstructor for further action. Student must notcontact the instructor directly.
6. Change of BranchThe Senate of IIT Bombay has approved newrules for change of branch which is effectivefrom the JEE batch of 2011 onwards. Studentsare eligible to apply for change of Branch /
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Programme after completing the first twosemesters. The following rules/guidelines willbe used for considering applications for change.1. The eligibility criteria to apply for change of
Branch / Programme are(a) completion of the course creditsprescribed in the first two semesters, and(b) no backlog at the end of first year of 4-year B.Tech./5-year M.Sc./Dual Degreeprogrammes, and(c) secured a Cumulative PerformanceIndex CPI)
• > 8.0 for General and OBC categorystudents
• > 7.0 for SC, ST and PD categorystudents
2. Applications from students who satisfy theeligibility criteria are to be considered in theorder as given below.• All students who satisfy the norms
specified in rule 3 are allocated first.• Students who satisfy the norms specified
in rule 4 are allocated subsequently.• Students who satisfy the norms specified
in rule 5 are allocated at the end.3. A student with CPI > 9.0 will be permitted to
change from branch A to branch B, strictlyin CPI order, provided the strength in branchB, to which the change is being sought, doesnot exceed its sanctioned strength by morethan 10%. There is no restriction on thestrength of branch A (may go well below itssanctioned strength) during the applicationof this rule. The request of this student willbe reconsidered again, strictly in CPI order,if she/he does not violate the not exceeding10% of sanctioned strength in the branchcondition, due to another student gettingtransferred to branch A.
4. A student will be permitted to change frombranch A to branch B, strictly in CPI order, ifshe/he(a) was eligible for admission to branch B atthe time of entry to IIT Bombay, and(b) strength of branch B does not exceedthe sanctioned strength by more than 10%,and(c) strength of branch A does not fall below85% of its sanctioned strength (equivalentlyat most 15% students of sanctioned strengthof a branch are permitted to leave it). Therequest of this student will be reconsideredagain, strictly in CPI order, if she/he doesnot violate rule 4(b) and 4(c) due to anotherstudent getting transferred to branch A.
5. For other students, request for change,strictly in CPI order, from a student from
branch A to branch B will be considered ifthe(a) Strength of branch B does not exceedthe sanctioned strength by more than 10%(b) Strength of branch A does not fall below85% of its sanctioned strength (equivalentlyat most 15% students of sanctioned strengthof a branch are permitted to leave it). Therequest of this student will be reconsideredagain, strictly in CPI order, if she/he doesnot violate rule 5(b) and 5(c) due to anotherstudent getting transferred to branch A.
6. If a student S1 is not permitted to changefrom branch A to branch B, due to rules 3, 4or 5, any other student S2 with CPI less thanS1 will also not be permitted to change tobranch B.
7 (a). The rules 3 to 6 are applicable for allcategories with the concession in eligibilitycriteria mentioned in rule 1 for SC, ST andPD students.
(b). Every student has a birth categoryattribute, which is one of GE, OBC, SC, STor ST.(c). A vacant seat that is available forallocation is defined to be one of six differenttypes.The types are i) open, ii) reserved for GE,iii) reserved for OBC, iv) reserved for SC,iv) reserved for ST and vi) reserved for PD.(d). The additional seats in a branch,limited to maximum of 10% of its sanctionedstrength, that are made available to studentsfor allocation at the time of change of branchare defined at the start of the allocationprocess to be of type "open" in nature (donot belong to any category). There may alsobe a few vacant seats of type "reserved forcategory X" at this point in time.
(e). A vacant open seat in Branch B, whenallocated to a student in branch A belongingto birth category X, creates a vacant seat inbranch A of type "reserved for category X".
(f). A vacant seat of type "reserved seat ofcategory X" is available for re-allocation onlyto students of birth category X.
8. All branch transfers can be effected onlyonce at the beginning of the secondacademic year. No application for changeof branch during the subsequent academicyears will be entertained.
9. Students will be permitted to change fromB.Tech. to Dual Degree Programme in thesame department at the end of third andfourth semesters subject to the department’srecommendation.
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7. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
7.1 Award of degree
On successful completion of the prescribedrequirements for a programme (B.Tech.;Integrated M.Sc.; Dual Degree (B.Tech. andM.Tech.)), the required degree will be conferredon a student in an annual convocation of theInstitute.
The degree certificate will indicate the relevantbranch, and specializations if any, in theengineering or science discipline in which thestudent has graduated. For example: ‘Bachelorof Technology in Civil Engineering,’ ‘ Master ofScience in Chemistry,’ or ‘Bachelor ofTechnology in Electrical Engineering andMaster of Technology in Electrical Engineeringwith Specialization in Microelectronics.’
In those cases where the student has earnedthe required credits for an Honors in her/hisdiscipline or a Minor in another discipline withinthe stipulated time, this will be mentioned inthe degree certificate: for example ‘Bachelorof Technology in Metallurgical Engineering andMaterials Science with Minor in EnvironmentalSciences and Engineering’; ‘Bachelor ofTechnology in Mechanical Engineering withHonors’; or ‘Bachelor of Technology inChemical Engineering with Honors and Masterof Technology in Chemical Engineering withSpecialization in Process Systems Design andEngineering.’
Along with the degree certificate, the studentwill be given a transcript, giving semester-wisedetails of all academic accomplishments. Theadditional courses taken, whether earning aminor / honors or not, will be separatelymentioned in the transcript. If an honors / minoris earned that will also be mentioned. An overallCPI for all the academic work done by thestudent will be given.
For conferment of degree, student has to fulfillthe following requirements:
a) The student should have taken and passedall the courses prescribed for the degreeunder the general institutional anddepartmental requirements.
b) The student should have satisfactorilyfulfilled other academic requirements likepractical training, NSS/NSO/NCC, work
visits, seminar and projects, as specified forthe discipline
c) The student should have paid all the Institutedues.
d) The student should have no case ofindiscipline pending against him/her.
The transcript and the final degree certificatewill not mention any class whatsoever; only theCPI/s will be given in the transcript. CPI of 6.5or above may be considered as a first class.Honors is not indicative of class.
7.2 Award of Medals
A medal be awarded to a student only if he/she has completed at least thirty creditsbeyond the mandatory course creditrequirement in that discipline.
For the President of India Medal and theInstitute Gold Medal, the total grade points(overall total of Credits multiplied by GradePoints) for that student shall be considered.The student(s) with the highest total gradepoints and no academic irregularities during theProgramme (underloading, failed mandatorycourses, and so on) shall be considered forthe award of the President of India Medal/Institute Gold Medal. In case of a tie, theperformance of (a) student(s) with a largernumber of credits completed, would be deemedto be superior. In case of a tie even then, aperformance where an Honours and/ or Minoris completed would be deemed superior.
An Institute Silver Medal would be awardedin each discipline, irrespective of the recipientof the President of India Medal. For the InstituteSilver Medal, only student(s) who havecompeted Honours in that discipline and haveno academic irregularities during theProgramme (underloading, failed mandatorycourses, and so on) would be considered. Thestudent(s) in each discipline with the highestCPI, calculated based only on the mandatoryplus honours credit requirement would beconsidered for the award of the Institute SilverMedal in that discipline. For Dual Degreestudents, since completing the Honoursrequirement is mandatory, the term “CPI,calculated based only on the mandatory plushonours credit requirement” be interpreted as“CPI, calculated based only on the DualDegree credit requirement”.
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7.3 Early termination
Given that some of the best talents in thecountry take admission at this Institute, it isexpected that all of them perform very well, andfully utilize the various opportunities providedfor their academic advancement. However, ina few cases, students are unable to cope withthe studies here. This may often be due to alack of aptitude or a mismatch between thestudent’s interest and what the programmesprovide. Early recognition of this tendencypermits corrective action to be taken in time,and the students to pursue their careerselsewhere. UGAPEC, therefore, willrecommend early termination of studentship inthe following situations –
1. During the first and Second year
Students having five or more FR and/or XXgrades at the end of each semester (after takinginto account the grades obtained in thesemester – end - re-examination, if applicable)
2. During the Third and subsequentyears.
Students are having seven or more FR and/orXX grads, at the end of each semester (aftertaking into account the grades obtained in thesemester – end – re-examination, if applicable)
7.4 Early exit for poorly performing DualDegree students
Early exits for poorly performing Dual degreestudents with CPI below 5.0 are permitted atthe end of 7th semester, declaring themineligible for the Master’s degree. Suchstudents are required to complete therequirements of the B.Tech degree in therelevant discipline, and allowed to exit with aB.Tech degree after completion of total periodof at least four and half years. Such studentscannot be awarded a B.Tech. degree withhonors, and neither can they be permitted tocomplete a minor.
8. UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHAWARDS (URA)
Some students may have an inclination towardsresearch. The Undergraduate ResearchAwards (URA) is designed for such students.URA will be available at three levels, all of themindependent of each other. They will carrycodes similar to course codes so that they canbe listed in grade reports.
URA01 : for preliminary research/developmental experience
URA02 : for B. Tech. Level Research Project.
URA03 : for Dual Degree Level ResearchProject
URA01: This is a recognition of a smallresearch/ developmental effort, successfullycompleted by a student in the first, second orthird year of an undergraduate programme –that is, a B.Tech., Integrated M.Sc. or a DualDegree Programme. A faculty member mustagree to supervise the student for the URA01project. The student works with this facultymember, with the approval of the DUGC, forfour-to-six month duration – including thesummer or winter vacations. No formalregistration is required with the academic officeat this stage. If the faculty member is satisfiedwith the quantum and quality of work done, atany stage, s/he may recommend the award ofURA01 to the student, which will then be listedin the grade card of the student in the semesterimmediately following the semester in whichthis award was recommended. No credits areassigned to URA01. URA01 can be awardedonly once to a student.
URA02: This is to be treated as recognition oftruly exceptional work, both in quality and inextent, done in the B.Tech. Project. If thecommittee evaluating the B. Tech. Project of aB.Tech. student believes that the student hascarried out truly exceptional work in the B.Tech. Project and the quantum of work issubstantially higher than what is expected, itmay recommend that two more facultymembers, other than those who alreadyparticipated in the committee for evaluation,duly chosen by the DUGC, examine the workdone and evaluate whether a URA02 can beawarded to the student in addition to the AAgrade already given. A joint recommendationmust then be made by all: the originalcommittee of evaluation and these two otherfaculty members that this student be awardedURA02, duly routed through the Convener,DUGC to the Convener, UGAPEC. This award,on approval by the UGAPEC, will be mentionedon the grade report of the student as URA02carrying six credits and the grade AA. No formalregistration is required with the academic office.The advantage to the student would be thathis / her CPI would improve, given that thesecredits are with an AA grade.
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URA03: These are to be treated as recognitionof truly exceptional work, both in quality and inextent, in the Dual Degree Project. If thecommittee evaluating the Final Stage of theDual Degree Project of a given Dual Degreestudent believes that the student has carriedout truly exceptional work and the quantum ofwork is substantially higher than what isexpected, it may recommend that two morefaculty members, other than those who alreadyparticipated in the committee for evaluation,duly chosen by the DUGC, examine the workdone and evaluate whether a URA03 can beawarded to the student in addition to the AAgrade already given. A joint recommendationmust then be made by all: the originalcommittee of evaluation and these two otherfaculty members that this student be awardedURA03, duly routed through the Convener,DUGC to the Convener, UGAPEC. Thisaward, on approval by the UGAPEC, will bementioned on the grade report of the studentas URA03 carrying six credits and the gradeAA. No formal registration is required with theacademic office. The advantage to the studentwould be that his / her CPI would improve,given that these credits are with an AA grade.
9. MISCELLANEOUS
9.1 Helping weaker students
The students with backlogs are required toregister manually. This will require them tomeet and discuss their performance with theFaculty Advisor. The students with backlogsshould continuously seek help from the FacultyAdvisor, the student counselor, the studentmentors, and the DUGC concerned and keeptheir parents/guardians informed about theirperformance. At the end of each semester, theInstitute will also send semester grade reportof the students / warning letter for poorperformance etc. as directed by the UGAPEC(if required) to their parents/guardians byordinary post. It is expected that the parents/guardians, especially in the case of studentswith backlogs, stay in constant touch with theFaculty Advisors and if necessary, the studentcounselor, and keep themselves abreast oftheir wards’ progress.
9.2 Faculty Advisor
On joining the Institute, a student or a group ofstudents is/are assigned to a Faculty Advisor.The students are expected to consult the
Faculty Advisor on any matter relating to theiracademic performance and the courses theymay take in various semesters / summer terms.The idea of a Faculty Advisor has been evolvedto extend guidance to the students enablingthem to complete their courses of study for therequired degree in a smooth and satisfactorymanner. For effective utilization of theopportunities for additional academicaccomplishments, planning of the individual’sacademic journey needs careful consideration,and constant consultation with the FacultyAdvisors is imperative. Thus, the role of theFaculty Advisor is of immense importance. TheFaculty Advisor is the person whom theparents/guardians should contact forperformance related issues of their ward.
The role of the Faculty Advisor is outlinedbelow:
1. Guide the students about the rules andregulations governing the courses of studyfor a particular degree.
2. Advise the students for registering coursesas per curriculum given or otherwise withinthe scope of the rules and regulations setby the Senate from time to time. For thispurpose the Faculty Advisor has to discusswith the student his/her academicperformance during the previous semesterand then decide the number and nature ofthe courses for which s/he can registerduring the semester as per the curriculum.
3. Approve the registration of the students.Student without any backlog will do onlineregistration. Faculty Advisor has toapprove the same. For this purpose s/hehas been provided online interface.Students having backlog courses has toregister manually. Course RegistrationForm (CRF) of such students is providedto the Faculty Advisor through theDepartmental office. The FA has toapprove the CRF by signing on it, beforethe prescribed last date.
4. Advice students to overload / drop one ormore courses/activities based on her/hisacademic performance as per theprescribed rules.
5. At the end of the first semester/year, theFaculty Advisor may even advise areduced load programme for a poorlyperforming student. This reduced loadprogramme may spread over severalsemesters subject to
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minimum load for the semester and completionof the degree programme with in theprescribed maximum period. Such reducedload programme is to be prepared by theFaculty Advisor in consultation with theStudent; her/his parent and recommend thesame through the DUGC to the UGAPECfor consideration and approval before thecommencement of the semester.
6. Pay special attention to weak students andcarefully monitor performance of studentsrecommended for slow track option.
7. Advice students for Course Adjustment /Dropping of courses during the Semesterwithin the stipulated time frame given in theAcademic calendar.
8. Advice students seeking semester dropeither during the ongoing semester orbefore the commencement of thesemester. FA has to ensure strictcompliance of rules and regulations laiddown for this purpose. Recommend thecases to the appropriate authorities forconsideration.
9. Make revised plan of study for weak/brightstudents based on their semester-wiseperformance.
10. Suggest modalities for course/creditrequirements for the studentsrecommended for exchange programme.
11. Guidance and liaison with parents ofstudents for their performance.
12. To ensure that students are not permittedto re-register for courses, which they havealready passed.
13. Upraise students that any academic activity(course / Lab./ seminar / project / non creditrequirement etc) undergone without properregistration will not be counted towards therequirements of his/her degree.
14. Strictly warn students that if s/he fails toregister during any semester without priorapproval, his/her studentship is liable to becancelled.
15. Keep the students updated about theAcademic Administration of the Institute.
10. Glossary
Senate : The Senate is a statutory andsupreme body that governs allacademic matters of the Institute.
The rulings of Chairman, Senateis final in regard to all academicmatters.
DUGC : Departmental Under-GraduateCommittee
UGPC : Under-Graduate ProgrammesCommittee
UGAPEC : Under-Graduate AcademicPerformance EvaluationCommittee
CRF : Course Registration Form
CAF : Course Adjustment Form
FA : Faculty Advisor
Semester : Two semesters in an academicyear, approximately of 16 weeks duration each,the first one (Autumn Semester) from the lastweek of July to last week of November andthe second one (Spring Semester) from the firstweek of January to the last week of April.
Summer Term : Approximately of 8 weeksduration from the first week of May to the firstweek of July.
Course Credit : Weighted sum of the numberof Lecture hours (L), Tutorial hours (T), andPractical hours (P) associated with the course.
Registration : Semester wise enrolmentfor courses as per the prescribed curriculum.
Semester Credits: Sum of credits of coursesregistered by the student in a semester.
Credits Earned : Sum of credits earned bypassing a course registered during thesemester.
Grade :Qualitative assessment of thestudent’s performance in a course indicated bythe letters, AP, AA, AB, BB, BC, CC, CD, DD,FR, XX, II, PP or NP Grade. XX or FR indicatesthat the student has to repeat the course. DRindicates course dropped.
Grade point : Number equivalent of theletter grades given by 10, 9, 8, 7,6, 5, 4,corresponding to AP and AA, AB, BB, BC, CC,CD, and DD respectively. FR, XX carry zerograde points,
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PP, and NP do not carry any grade points. II isa place holder, gets converted to an appropriategrade after semester end re-examination. DRis just a position holder.
Instructor : Member of faculty who teachescourses/labs.
Semester Grade Points : The sum of theproducts of credits and Grade Points for eachcourse registered by a student in a semester.
SPI : Semester Performance Index which isobtained by dividing the Semester Grade Pointsby the Semester Credits.
Cumulative Credits : Sum of the SemesterCredits for all the semesters taken together,wherein the credits of a course is not countedif an alternative course has been taken in lieuof it.
Cumulative Grade Points : Sum of theSemester Grade Points for all the semesterstaken together, wherein the credits of a course
is not counted if an alternative course has beentaken in lieu of it.
CPI : Cumulative Performance Index which isobtained by dividing the Cumulative GradePoints by the Cumulative Credits.
URA : Undergraduate Research Award.
Minor : A credential earned by a student,optionally, by earning a total of 30 specifiedcredits in addition to the minimum prescribedfor the degree, in a focused area different fromher/his discipline
Honors : A credential earned by a studentoptionally by earning a total of 30 specifiedcredits in addition to the minimum prescribedfor the degree, in her/his parent discipline
Transcript : Consolidated statement of theAcademic Performance of a student for all thesemesters completed.
Audit course : Course taken by a student forexposure only and carries no grade points.
