How to Pause IITM BS: Skipping Terms Without Getting Struck Off

You can pause IITM BS for 1 or 2 terms in a row. Simply do not register for courses, and pay the Registration Keep Alive (RKA) fee of Rs 1,000 for each term you skip. If you skip a third term in a row, you are struck off the rolls and must pay to come back. The catch: skipped terms still count towards your checkpoints and time limits, so check those before you stop.

The pause rules in one table

These rules are the same in the Data Science (DS) and Electronic Systems (ES) handbooks.

What each status means is explained in IITM BS student status, and the payments in RKA and readmission fees. This post is about planning the break.

Step 1: Count your terms before you stop

Terms where you paid RKA, and terms where you dropped every course, are counted in the checkpoint term limits. A pause does not stop the clock.

Example (DS foundation, joined from May 2024). Say you joined in the January 2026 term and passed 2 courses. You then pause for the May 2026 and September 2026 terms. January 2027 is your 4th term, and by then you need 4 courses. So you must pass 2 courses in January 2027. Your later targets stay fixed: 6 courses by your 6th term (September 2027) and all 8 by your 9th term (September 2028).

Other limits to check:

• DS diploma (started from May 2024): 6 courses and 2 projects in the first 6 terms, and more after that. See diploma checkpoints.
• Joined from May 2026: foundation and diploma within 15 terms, or you cannot move to the degree level.
• Whole programme: 8 years (24 terms).

If a milestone can no longer be met even at the maximum load, the DS handbook says registration is blocked and you are removed. Warnings about slow progress start from your 3rd term. Full rules are in foundation checkpoints.

Step 2: Choose how to stop

• Before registration opens: simply do not register for that term.
• Already registered and paid: you can drop within 4 weeks of the term start. IITM keeps Rs 2,000 per foundation course and Rs 4,000 per diploma or degree course. The rest goes to your student wallet for a later term. If you drop every course, that term counts as a 0-course term and you go on probation. See dropping a course.
• Missed only the end term: you get an I grade. The make-up exam must be taken in the very next term for your quiz scores to carry over. If you pause that term instead, you must repeat the whole course. So finish the make-up before your break.

Step 3: Pay RKA for each term off

Pay Rs 1,000 for each term you skip. You can also leave it pending, but then it costs 10% more when you come back. If you plan to exit instead of returning, the handbook's FAQ says you do not need to pay RKA for the next term before filling in the exit form.

Step 4: Come back by the third term

Register for at least one course no later than the third term. That makes you active again. Before you register:

• Finish the POSH training if it is pending. Without it, you cannot register for the next term.
• Submit your medical certificate if you have not. Without it, you do not get bonafide certificates, letters of support or placement support.

If you need more than two terms

• Take one light course in the third term. It resets your status to active, but the checkpoint count keeps running.
• Get struck off and pay readmission. This works once. A second strike-off removes you.
• Exit with a certificate and rejoin later (DS only). If you leave with an original diploma or degree certificate, you can later rejoin at the next level. You write re-admission exams for Rs 5,000, whatever the number of subjects. The time between exit and re-entry is not counted in your overall time limit. See re-entry after exit.
• Do not use "I quit the programme" for a break. Quitting is final. There is no reactivation.

Common questions

Does paying RKA stop the checkpoint clock?

No. RKA only keeps your registration alive. RKA terms are still counted in your foundation and diploma term limits.

What happens to my student email during a pause?

It stays active while you are on probation. It is suspended only if you are struck off, and it comes back after you pay the readmission dues.

Are the pause rules different for Electronic Systems?

The status rules and fees are the same. The checkpoints differ. For example, ES foundation needs all 9 courses and 5 labs within 9 terms, and labs need campus visits, so plan your return around a lab visit window.

Can I pause right after the qualifier, before my first term?

The pause rules apply after you join. Before your first registration, what matters is how long your qualifier result stays valid.