IIT (ISM) Dhanbad planning BTech with 17 minors, 13 honours; has partnered with IIM Mumbai for MBA: Director

NEW DELHI: Approaching its centenary year in 2026, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad is set for a fresh boost in its research activities, with new programmes and collaborations — including one with IIM Mumbai — along with plans for expansion. Director Sukumar Mishra speaks to Careers360 about his focus areas, rankings, the National Education Policy, and more. Edited excerpts from the conversation:

Q. What new courses and departments are in the pipeline? Any revisions to the curriculum planned?

We are proposing 17 minors and 13 honours for BTech in accordance with the changes envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP). In addition, starting with the forthcoming academic year 2025–2026, we have partnered with Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai to provide a BTech in mining engineering and an MBA in logistics and supply chain management. Starting with the next academic year, we will be offering a five-year BS-MS programme in physical science and chemical science. Additionally, we will be offering specialized MTech programmes in a number of fields, such as structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, and transportation engineering, all of which are offered by the department of civil engineering.

Q. In 2025, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad was ranked 20th globally in the QS rankings for Mineral and Mining Engineering, making it India’s highest-performing subject area. How did you achieve this, and do you have similar goals for other subjects?

Yes, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad leads the way in the 2025, QS world University Rankings by subject as compared to last year. The ranking parameters include academic and employer repute, research output, and funding, featuring 55 individual subjects across five broad subject areas.

Our success in mineral and mining accounts to the fact that courses in mining and mineral engineering have been established for over 50 years, but other departments are relatively new.

With a strong foundation in earth sciences and mining, the institute has progressively broadened its academic offerings to encompass additional engineering disciplines, most notably since the late 1990s. As a result, the comparatively newer departments are still in the early stages of their research. After all, experienced faculty members contribute years of scholarly and research expertise and are essential in directing and forming the department. Even though they are trying, they haven't yet caught up to institutes like IIT Delhi, whose departments have been in place for a much longer time. But certainly, the new departments are focused on improving their research potential, faculty strength, and faculty-to-student ratio, which is promising.

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Q. How have placements been this year compared to last year?

In 2023-24, placements at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad were as good as any other institute. We achieved an 80% placement rate, which is a good number compared to other IITs. For 2024-25, we have placed over 65% of students so far, and placements are still ongoing. We anticipate that this figure will surpass 85%.

Many students opt for higher education abroad or prepare for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) for public sector jobs, even after registering for placements. As a result, many do not appear for interviews, which affects the overall placement rate. Additionally, a significant number are securing off-campus placements.

Q. There was a recent suicide on campus. Have you taken steps to ensure students’ mental well-being?

The student’s death was not due to academic or placement issues. However, for overall student mental well-being, we have counsellors and an online counselling platform, Your Dost and we conduct special Wellness Sessions round the year. We also invite external experts for lectures and conduct training for wardens and other hostel staff, as they are the first point of contact in detecting any student distress. Additionally, we have introduced faculty advisor groups, where each faculty member mentors 10-20 students to facilitate open conversations and provide support.

Q. Any new partnerships?

Compared to the previous year, we have tripled our research funding. We have partnered with the Wadhwani Foundation to establish a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and its applications in mining, mineral and electric vehicles. Its activities are underway.

We have also set up a Section 8 company with initial funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and private companies. It is performing well, and in March, the DST confirmed additional funding to convert it into one of India’s four Technology Transition Research Parks. This will enable significant funding from both private and public sources.

Q. Recently, the Supreme Court had to intervene to allow Dalit student Atul Kumar’s admission after he missed a fee deadline. How are you ensuring fair opportunities for marginalized students at IITs?

The fee deadline and acceptance of fee was under the purview of Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA), which oversees BTech counselling and admissions at IITs. Unfortunately, this fact got overlooked in many news reports in Atul Kumar’s case.

However, once the Supreme Court’s verdict was issued, we immediately in consultation with JoSAA admitted him with a fee waiver, as he belongs to a reserved category.

Further, there is no discrimination on our campus. Students from all backgrounds are doing well. Over the past one year, I have not received any complaints regarding discrimination.

Q. Last year, students protested against new rules on late entry and hostel timings.

We have restricted late night entry of the students to the institute and hostels. For them, the entry time into the institute is relatively early, while for hostel entry it is midnight.

The rules have been put in place in order to safeguard students, promote healthy sleep, and allow them to return to their morning sessions afresh.

Maintaining precautionary measures, we have also allowed our students to work in labs, even after hours, with proper permission from the competent authorities.

While our students can commute freely inside and outside the campus, yet certain restrictions apply for safety and academic reasons.

Q. Will you be relying on the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) for expansion? Any updates on the new campus?

We have recently applied for a HEFA loan for new buildings and we are optimistic about receiving it. This will indeed boost our expansion plans as the Jharkhand government has already provided us a patch of land.

Owing to ISM’s upscaling to an IIT in 2016, we fall in the category of third-generation IIT, however, the budget sanctioned for third generation IIT in order to increase students’ strength does not apply to us as we are already having 8,000 plus students.

Next as IIT (ISM) Dhanbad gets closer to its centennial year in 2026, we have received substantial funding from our alumni for our centenary building which is underway. We are also getting funds for research and development from a number of research funding agencies. We are financially stable, and the government is highly supportive of our growth.

Q. What are your focus areas during your tenure?

During my tenure at IIT Delhi’s electrical engineering department, I focused on research and development, teaching, and outreach. As a leader, based on my previous experience, I will strive to take IIT (ISM) Dhanbad to renewed heights of excellence by combining the two strengths that the institute enforces: brand ISM and brand IIT.

We have significantly increased our research funding, and it continues to be my top priority. Teaching is another area of emphasis, specifically the application of innovative pedagogy and NEP. Eventually, I aim to improve the institute’s overall environment to enhance the happiness and well-being of students and faculty, alongside promoting DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).

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Q. Is IIT (ISM) nurturing a startup culture? How does your incubation and research park function?

In 2024, we launched a Student Start-up Club (SSC) as the first step for students to embark on an entrepreneurial journey, in addition to more than a score of existing tech and non-tech clubs. I initiated this program immediately after my joining.

Students can register to unlock their entrepreneurial potential from their second semester onward, once they get familiarised with the institute. The club includes faculty members who help students convert ideas into prototypes. Once a prototype is ready and evaluated, students can proceed toward company formation. By their third or fourth year, some students may develop marketable startups, which we will support financially. After a company is formed, it is incubated in our incubation centers.