IITM BS RKA Fee and Readmission Fee Explained

RKA stands for Registration Keep Alive. It is a Rs 1,000 fee you pay for each term in which you do not take any course. If you do not pay it on time, it goes up by 10% to Rs 1,100 per term. If you skip three terms in a row, you are struck off and must pay a Rs 2,500 readmission fee to come back. The Data Science and Electronic Systems handbooks use the same amounts.

What the RKA fee is for

After you join, you can take a break from courses. The handbook allows up to 2 terms in a row with no courses. During those terms:

• Your status becomes "On Academic Probation".
• Your official email ID stays active.

Paying the Rs 1,000 RKA is how you tell the programme that you are not registering that term. When you come back the next term, you only pay your course fees. Nothing extra is due.

If you do not pay RKA on time

You can leave the RKA unpaid. But it stays pending, and pending RKA carries 10% extra when you return.

• One term skipped and not paid: Rs 1,100 before you register again.
• Two terms skipped and not paid: Rs 2,200 before you register again.

You pay this along with the fees for your new courses. Your status then goes back to "On the rolls".

When you get struck off

If you are on academic probation for 2 terms in a row and do not register in the third term either, your status becomes "Struck off the rolls". Your official email ID is suspended.

To come back, you apply through a separate process:

• RKA already paid for those 3 terms: you pay a readmission fee of Rs 2,500 to get your email ID reactivated. Then you can register for the next term.
• RKA not paid for those 3 terms: you pay Rs 5,800. That is the Rs 2,500 readmission fee plus Rs 3,300 of pending RKA (Rs 1,000 for each of 3 terms, plus a Rs 300 penalty).

Once you pay and register, your status goes back to "On the rolls". If you are struck off the rolls 2 times, you are removed from the programme.

Worked examples

Look at the last two rows. If you pay RKA each term, you spend Rs 3,000 on RKA plus Rs 2,500 to come back, which is Rs 5,500. If you pay nothing until the end, you pay Rs 5,800. The only difference is the Rs 300 penalty. Paying RKA does not stop you from being struck off after a third term with no courses.

Other times RKA comes up

• Credit transfer only: if the only thing you do in a term is a credit transfer, such as an NPTEL course, you still have to pay the RKA fee for that term.
• Leaving the programme: the Data Science handbook FAQ says you do not need to pay RKA for the coming term before you fill the exit form.
• Term limits: in the Data Science handbook, RKA terms count towards the time you are given to finish a level. The foundation must be done within 9 terms and the diploma within 12, and terms under RKA are included in that count. So RKA does not pause the clock. See foundation level checkpoints and diploma level checkpoints.

For what each student status means, read IITM BS student status explained. Other small charges are listed in the guide to other IITM BS fees.

Common questions

Can I skip one term without paying anything?

You can leave the RKA unpaid, but it does not go away. When you register again, you pay Rs 1,100 instead of Rs 1,000. So skipping always costs something.

Is the RKA fee the same in Data Science and Electronic Systems?

Yes. Both handbooks give Rs 1,000 per term, the same 10% penalty, the Rs 2,500 readmission fee and the Rs 5,800 example.

What happens if I am struck off a second time?

You are removed from the programme. The handbook does not offer a way back after a second strike off, so plan your breaks with care.

Does dropping all my courses count as a skipped term?

Yes, in effect. If you drop every course you registered for in a term, the handbook counts it as a term with 0 courses and your status changes to academic probation. Your email stays active so you can register the next term.