Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi recently welcomed the new B.Tech. batch of 2020 during a virtual orientation event. The Institute introduced the students and their parents to its special 5-week induction programme which is being held in phases this year due to the pandemic. A total number of 330 students were admitted to IIT Mandi this year in B.Tech. courses, out of which 68 are girls and 262 are boys as compared to 53 girls and 209 boys last year.

Welcoming the new batch of students, Prof. Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Mandi, said, “Nested in the mountains of Shivalik, IIT Mandi has developed beautiful state of art research facilities, classrooms, as well as hostels and sport complexes. The unique curriculum of IIT Mandi includes courses like reverse engineering and Interactive Socio-Technical Practicum (ISTP) which help students to be empathetic towards societal problems and learn to provide engineering solutions. Centers like IIT Mandi Catalyst nurture students to grow up in an entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The Institute introduced the students to a special 5 Week Induction Programme (5WIP) which the Institute is organising in phases this year due to the pandemic. The first phase of the induction programme started today, 23^rd November 2020. A unique fully faculty mentored induction programme, 5WIP aims to provide training to the new students to help them in the transition from school to college, to improve their respective skills and proficiency, and to appreciate the significance of engineering's societal connect. The first phase of this programme will include introductory sessions on English and communication, exploring engineering, soft skills and computer proficiency.

The next phase of 5WIP will be organised once the students return to the campus. The 5WIP treats all students as unique individuals with their specific strengths and weaknesses. It gives all the students a chance to acquire the critical skills that will enable them to follow lectures with ease and gain the confidence to ask questions from their teachers, before their rigorous, grade-oriented classes begin.  Emphasis on the creative arts and sports as well as for holistic development of the students is a unique feature of this program.

Highlighting the unique aspects of IIT Mandi’s curriculum, Dr. Pradeep Parameswaran, Dean (Academics), IIT Mandi, said, “An important aspect of the curriculum is the integration of innovation and design into the learning process. This is achieved through a model of learning by doing, which is built into the curriculum. At IIT Mandi, the students are exposed to a broad range of knowledge and skills that will enable them to perform well in tomorrow’s increasingly complex and inter-dependent world.”

The B.Tech. programme being offered by the institute has several additional features including Minor program, B.Tech. Honors, among others. The Minor program will help students in gaining expertise in areas like Management, Intelligent Systems, Applied Physics, and German language, outside the major course discipline. Students can increase their credit score by opting B.Tech. Honors. The Institute has been ranked #7 in the ‘Centrally Funded Institutions’ category of ARIIA 2020. IIT Mandi Catalyst, the first Technology Business Incubator in Himachal Pradesh, has helped over 75 start-ups since 2017. There is a great opportunity for the students to experience entrepreneurial culture.

The Institute has successfully achieved the target of female enrolment in undergraduate courses by admitting 20.61 per cent female students to B. Tech programme, this year. IIT Mandi is one of the best IITs for young women engineers in the making. The institute provides a merit scholarship including full tuition fee waiver and a monthly stipend of Rs.1,000/- in the first year irrespective of category and parent’s income. The merit scholarship will continue for four years of B. Tech. programs, subject to good academic performance of the candidate indicated by minimum SPGA criteria of 7.0 for the previous two semesters and no disciplinary action.