IIT BHU revamps undergraduate structure, pauses several integrated dual degree programs

IIT BHU Varanasi has announced changes to its undergraduate admissions, saying several five-year Integrated Dual Degree programmes will not be offered in the coming academic cycle after a curriculum overhaul aligned with the National Education Policy.

The institute said the decision follows a comprehensive restructuring carried out during 2024–25 to introduce greater flexibility in undergraduate education.

Officials said the earlier Integrated Dual Degree framework was found to be rigid and did not adequately reflect evolving student preferences.

Explaining the rationale, IIT BHU said students enrolled under the previous model were required to complete a five-year integrated course leading to both BTech and MTech degrees, with no provision to exit after four years with only a BTech qualification.

“It was found that many students wanted to exit or wanted an option to leave the programs after completing the B Tech part. However, an exit option at that level was not possible due to the integrated nature of the programs,” IIT BHU said.

The institute currently offers 17 Integrated Dual Degree programmes, of which 13 are outside the Joint Seat Allocation Authority undergraduate counseling process.

These include Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology and Ceramic Engineering. The list also covers Industrial Chemistry and Physics.

Other programs are Bioengineering with an MTech in Biomedical Technology and Mining Engineering. Biochemical Engineering with an MTech in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology is also included.

The remaining disciplines are Materials Science and Technology, Metallurgical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics and Computing, and Computer Science and Engineering.

Following the restructuring, IIT BHU has decided that from July 2025, all seats previously earmarked for MTech Integrated Dual Degree programs will be converted into BTech seats in the corresponding disciplines.

The institute clarified that the move does not reduce the total number of undergraduate admissions through JEE Advanced.

At the same time, IIT BHU said the Integrated Dual Degree option has not been discontinued.

Instead, it will now be offered as an optional pathway, allowing students to opt in “at the end of the sixth semester” of their BTech program in the same discipline, extending the total duration to 10 semesters.

Under the revised NEP-aligned structure, BTech students will be able to choose from four mutually exclusive academic options.

These include pursuing a Minor in another discipline after the fourth semester, opting for a Major in another discipline that extends the degree to five years, enrolling in the Integrated Dual Degree after the sixth semester, or completing a standard BTech in the primary discipline.

Students who do not opt for a Major or Minor can also graduate with a BTech Honours degree in their core discipline. The institute described this as a significant expansion of academic choice.

“The curriculum restructuring exercise has provided students admitted to BTech with more choice and flexibility in programs,” it said.

Responding to questions about faculty availability, IIT BHU said staffing was not a factor in the decision. “The decision was a strategic restructuring that afforded students more flexibility and choice, in line with NEP guidelines. The decision was not based on faculty constraints.”

The revised framework has been approved by the Senate of IIT BHU and the Board of Governors.

The institute confirmed that students admitted to Integrated Dual Degree programs until 2024 will continue under the original structure, with no migration or transition, as the changes apply only to new admissions.

IIT BHU reiterated that “no programs were discontinued,” and overall seat intake remains unchanged.

It added that the updated curriculum includes interdisciplinary majors, project-based learning components, and minors aimed at preparing students to be “competent in two disciplines” or “with basic knowledge in the second discipline.”

The institute said curriculum reforms are guided by a continuous review process involving academic committees and student representatives.

While minor changes are made regularly, major structural reforms are typically undertaken every five to ten years.

On enrollment trends, IIT BHU acknowledged, “Yes, we have observed declining interest in some of the programs in the past few years,” adding that programs are usually redesigned to reflect industry requirements and student needs rather than being phased out.