Beginning this academic year, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are set to introduce a structured system that enables students to study across different IIT campuses. Under this initiative, students will be allowed to enroll in selected courses at other IITs and may even spend a full semester away from their home institute.

The move represents the first formal academic exchange within the IIT network. It is expected to bring greater flexibility to the traditionally rigid JEE-based admission framework, where a student’s entrance rank has long determined both institute allocation and academic path.

To make this possible, IITs are aligning curricula across campuses so that credits earned at one institute can be transferred back to a student’s home institution. Once course structures are matched, students will be able to complete approved coursework at another IIT and receive full academic recognition.

Discussions among academic leaders have highlighted student mobility and credit transfer as key priorities. Previously, large-scale transfers were restricted to preserve the integrity of the rank-based seat allocation system. However, with evolving academic and professional demands, there is growing support for a more connected IIT ecosystem.

The proposal has been discussed at the council level and will require approval from the respective academic senates of individual IITs. Once implemented, the system will function similarly to international semester exchange programmes, though initially on a limited and controlled scale.

Each IIT will determine the number of visiting students it can host based on available infrastructure and capacity. If student movement between campuses remains balanced, operational challenges are expected to be manageable.