The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) will start offering double degree programmes from the forthcoming academic session, making it the first engineering institute in the country to do so. "A B Tech student will now be able to opt for the second degree after completing the second year of B.Tech course and before completion of the third year," IIT-K director Sanjay G Dhande told mediapersons on Saturday.

The student will be free to choose any stream of his liking for the double degree course."However, their performance in B.Tech will be assessed before allowing them to opt for the second degree," Dhande said.The institute has also abolished the integrated five-year MSc degree, replacing it with a four-year MS (Master of Science) degree. If a student prefers to take the degree of BS (Bachelor of Science) in economics, physics, chemistry, aerospace or in any other stream they could do it along with MS in five years.Thus they will get two degrees of MS and BS within five years, the director said.

"The new system will open wider horizons of acquiring knowledge of the subject of one's interest and will not restrict the courses to MS degree," Dhande said.