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On June 28, 2021, IIT Bombay unveiled an innovative undergraduate program that was described as both "completely new and novel." This program was designed with a strong emphasis on two key principles: "student choice" and "interdisciplinary studies."
New Delhi: IIT Bombay announced a "completely new and novel type of undergraduate program," centred on "student choice and interdisciplinary studies" on June 28, 2021.
The Liberal Arts-Sciences-Engineering (LASE) curriculum of IIT Bombay, with 30 seats, would allow students to adapt their courses to their interests and finish with a Bachelor of Sciences (BS). It was India's first "liberal arts style offering in STEM".
It hasn't started after two years. It couldn't even obtain the bare minimum of 10 students to sign up from a class of over 1,000.
According to staff and students, this apathy stems from a "lack of acceptance" and apprehension about obtaining a degree other than the tried and true IIT B.Tech.
IIT students, regardless of engineering branch, have traditionally taken courses from several departments, including Humanities and Social Sciences, during their four years at the institute. However, the number of non-core courses is frequently restricted by the curriculum requirements of their main branch.
LASE, on the other hand, guarantees students the freedom to choose courses from any department and create a multi-disciplinary degree with no restrictions.
Students admitted to LASE in their second year at IIT Bombay must take five courses, including modern South Asian history, history of science, inequality and society, analytical reading and writing, and digital lives, according to the program design.
The following courses may be taken from any department within the institute. After four years, a LASE student receives a BS degree in one of the following fields: natural sciences, engineering sciences, social sciences, or art and design. The institute offered to pair each student with a faculty advisor who would assist them in selecting and customising their education.
In 2022, three second-year students made the cut for LASE, and only six in 2023. This year's shortage occurred despite lowering admission hurdles for the programme by eliminating the Statement of Purpose (SoP) and interview criteria.
Last year, three students were chosen after taking an entrance exam, submitting a SoP, and interviewing. This year, only a student's CGPA was utilised for admission, in an attempt to broaden the pool of applicants, according to Anush Kapadia, who teaches Political Economy at IIT Bombay and is a member of the 12-person core group guiding LASE.
Many students who talked to The Indian Express were concerned about earning a BS degree rather than a B.Tech degree after four years. While some saw the value in connecting their curriculum with their objectives, others were concerned about the degree and the absence of placement numbers.
"One of the main reservations was that this was something new. People are often fearful about taking risks. Another difference was that they offered a BS degree, whereas IIT students pursue a B.Tech," stated a third-year student who enrolled for LASE in her second year in 2022.
"We were aware that the BS vs. B.Tech thing would happen, and we kind of anticipated it, but we were not sure of the magnitude with which it would come," said Anurag Mehra, a professor at IIT Bombay's Chemical Engineering department who spearheads LASE and chairs the 12-member group.
"The brand equity of the B.Tech is too well-established," he stated. My main takeaway from this experience is that the BS is deeply embedded. "And no amount of logic will dispel it," he added.
"We made a bad decision here. Our assessment was that if you come here, you can at worst acquire an IIT degree. We expected that if all of the barricades were removed, 30 seats would be filled. We faltered there," Kapadia said.
Mehra speculated that the epidemic could possibly be to blame. "Recovery has been quite slow. People are dealing with mental health difficulties and covering up things, and the years following Covid are considerably more tough than the Covid years itself. I believe we could have done more, but people were simply overwhelmed by the reopening of the entire system," he said.
When asked why the course couldn't start with less than 10 students, Mehra stated, "There's a general rule that no course should start with fewer than five students because it's a waste of resources."
The program will attempt a third trial in the coming semester. In an interview with The Indian Express, Professor S Sudarshan, Deputy Director of IIT Bombay, stated that the institute will continue to offer LASE to its students. "Not enough students chose it. It's an opportunity, and we'll gladly provide it," he said.
Sudarshan is hoping that word will spread and more kids will recognise the opportunity. As an example, a candidate who made the cut but had to settle for an engineering branch because LASE did not take off. "What attracted me most was the freedom to do what I wanted to do, the chance to discover what I really wanted to do, and the assurance they provided in the sense that we're there to guide you people, help you."
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