Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad, the lone NIT of Uttar Pradesh, has decided to close down its once popular BTech in Information Technology programme from 2021-22 session.

“All 110 seats of this 17-year-old course have now been merged into BTech Computer Science (CSE) programme,” said MNNIT officials. “The move has been prompted by waning interest among top aspiring techies as well as firms taking part in placement exercise,” they added.

“The institute’s senate and MNNIT’s apex decision-making body—the Board of Governors—have both approved the proposal in this regard. The step follows an in-depth study undertaken by the institute,” said MNNIT director prof Rajeev Tripathi while confirming the move.

He said the institute had also merged the 110 seats of BTech IT with BTech (computer science) course. As a result, the total seats of BTech (computer science) have risen from earlier 180 to 290.

The institute was the first in the country to start an undergraduate programme in computer science and engineering in 1976-77. It started BTech in IT course from 2003-04 session.

“A scrutiny of past records showed that BTech in IT programme was low on the preference of top aspirants as compared to the BTech in computer science and engineering course and, as a result, the BTech (IT) was attracting aspirants much lower in the merit. We also observed that even companies hiring our students preferred BTech in computer science and engineering pass-outs to BTech in IT pass-outs, believing that the course in computer science and engineering is more holistic and covering a wider spectrum of skills and knowledge as compared to IT,” prof Tripathi said.