‘Learn-Earn-Return’ scheme comes as a great relief to the students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp), after the 122% fee hike in April, 2016. The institute has reached out to its alumni all over the world to donate Rs 10,000 to help create the corpus for this scheme.

IIT-Kgp will offer funding and scholarships to students based on merit and economic background. Depending on the amount of funds available, the institute will also offer full fee waiver to students with exceptional academic record. However, funding will depend on the performance of the students every semester. This scheme is launched so that students can concentrate on their studies without the burden of a loan. An official from the IIT-Kgp management told PaGaLGuY, “Our alumnus Vinod Gupta came up with the idea of giving back and our director Prof. P P Chakrabarti designed the detailed scheme.”

There are certain conditions which are to be met by students before availing of this scheme. In order to be selected for this scheme, students will be required to take an Honour Pledge to give back to the institute through the ‘Learn-Earn-Return’ scheme after establishing their career.

Students should not be in receipt of any major scholarship or fee waiver or having received any disciplinary proceedings or major backlogs as per norms. The student may be required to teach under the Peer Assisted Learning programme or opt as a Research Assistant at the Institute or perform other institutional work as an intern.

However, similar schemes are not available at any other IITs. When PaGaLGuY asked Prof Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, Director, IIT-Kgp, if they will propose the scheme to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, and other IITs, he said, “We would first evaluate the level of success of the scheme at our institute. Currently such a proposition is not under consideration.”