IITs to Remove Entrance Exam Ranks from Resumes, Tighten Rules on Offer Withdrawals

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MUMBAI: In a set of decisions that could reshape campus recruitment across the country’s premier engineering institutions, the All IITs Placement Committee (AIPC) has directed students across all 23 IITs to remove JEE ranks, GATE scores, percentiles and similar entrance examination credentials from their resumes.

At the same time, the IITs have decided to take a tougher stance against companies that issue job offers and later withdraw them, potentially restricting future engagement with such recruiters for up to two years if their explanations are found unsatisfactory.

Taken together, the measures reflect a growing concern within the IIT system that fairness in recruitment depends not only on how students are evaluated, but also on how they are treated once selected.

The decisions were taken unanimously at a recent meeting of the AIPC, the official body of 23 IITs that coordinates and issues common guidelines on internship and placement drives across all IITs.

According to AIPC convenor John Jose, the move to remove entrance examination rankings from resumes arose from concerns that recruiters could sometimes infer whether a student belonged to the general or reserved category by comparing a candidate’s rank with the opening and closing ranks of a particular IIT programme.

“The distinction is an important one. An entrance examination captures a moment in time. A degree reflects years of work that follow. The objective is that students should be evaluated on their competence, skills and achievements at IIT. What will disappear is the score that opened the gate,” said prof Jose, also a senior faculty of computer science engineering at IIT Guwahati.

For generations of IIT students, a rank was more than a number. It was a badge of honour earned through years of preparation, sacrifice and competition. Now, in a move that reflects a changing understanding of merit itself, IITs have decided that those ranks should no longer accompany students into the job market.

Under the revised guidelines, students may continue to highlight their Cumulative Performance Index (CPI), projects, internships, research work and other accomplishments earned during their years at IIT, explained Jose. Entrance examination scores may only be shared if a recruiter specifically requests them, but they will no longer be part of the standard resume circulated through placement channels.

The committee also addressed a growing concern among placement offices: companies extending job offers to students only to revoke them months later.

“Because students who accept an offer are typically removed from the placement process, such reversals can leave them stranded after missing other opportunities,” said prof Jose.

To discourage the practice, IITs have begun documenting instances of offer withdrawals and seeking explanations from recruiters. Companies found reneging on commitments may face restrictions on participation for the next two years in IIT recruitment drives.

Another decision seeks to change how placement success is measured. Rather than publicising the highest salary packages secured by a handful of graduates, IITs will report median salaries, which officials believe provide a more accurate picture of outcomes across an entire programme.