One-third IITans flunk in medium of instruction

IIT-Gn students excel in science papers, but many fall flat in English; the institute conducts test to check their level and train them accordingly to make them industry-ready

English trouble

It is no reflection on their technical skills, as the students of Indian Institutes of Technology are hailed as the outstanding brains of the country and are lapped up big corporates at sky high salaries. But when it comes to proficiency in English, nearly one third of the students of Gandhinagar campus flunk.

In the last five years, 636 students have undertaken English proficiency test at the institute. Of these, 197 students have failed. Annual break-up of the figures show that 31 per cent of the students at IIT-Gn fail in English proficiency test almost every year. It becomes a matter of concern as English is the medium of instruction in IITs.

All IITs conduct this test to identify students who face difficulty in English language skills. The questions in the test are mostly essay type which help the institutes in identifying the basic standard of the grammar and vocabulary of the students.

According to the reply Assistant Registrar R B Bhagat to an application under the RTI Act, English proficiency test is conducted by the humanities and social sciences faculty and not by any particular person.

When Mirror spoke to the students, they mainly blamed the education structure for this condition. “All IITs and other engineering institutes mainly focus on science subjects like mathematics, physics and chemistry. Not much attention is paid to the importance of language in the admission process. So, students also pay least attention to it,” said a BTech student requesting anonymity.

But most of these students get placed in multinational companies where English is the main medium of communication.

Many students also pointed out that in when they were preparing for IITs’ entrance test, coaching classes too gave importance only to science subjects. “No one can blame any institution for their poor English skill. But when IITians are known for their excellence, English shouldn’t become an impediment to their career. So, institutes should also focus on the development and grooming of such students,” said another student.

Highlighting the same issue, Infosys Chairman Emeritus N R Narayana Murthy while addressing a gathering of hundreds of former IITians at a pan-IIT summit in New York in 2011 had said that it was becoming difficult to get good English-speaking students at IITs.

To help students improve their communication skills, all IITs provide courses in English. “During the admission process, we don’t judge candidates on their language skills. After taking the students in, we evaluate their English standard and provide training. We not only develop their communication skills but also focus on leadership skills,” said IIT-Gn Director Sudhir K Jain.

“During the four years of their education at our institute, we teach them English. So, assess their communication skills when they complete their formal education,” he added.

Year    Students who     Those who failed

wrote the test

2010     127        40

2011:     114        40

2012:     120        42

2013:     134        44

2014:     141        31