IITM BS Student Status Explained: Active, Probation, Struck Off

Every IIT Madras BS student has one of five statuses: On the rolls (Active), On Academic Probation, Struck off the rolls, Quit the programme, or Alumnus. If you skip a term, you go on academic probation. You can pay a Registration Keep Alive (RKA) fee of Rs 1,000 for that term, or pay it later with a 10% penalty. If you skip three terms in a row, you are struck off the rolls. The rules are the same in Data Science (DS) and Electronic Systems (ES).

The five statuses at a glance

"Academic probation" here does not mean bad marks. In these handbooks it only means you did not take any course in that term.

Skipping a term and the RKA fee

After you join, you can skip up to 2 terms in a row without taking any course. During those terms your status is On Academic Probation and your student email stays alive.

You can tell the programme you are taking a break by paying the RKA fee of Rs 1,000 for each term you skip. When you come back and register for courses, you then pay only the course fees.

You can also leave the RKA unpaid for now. But unpaid RKA carries a 10% penalty when you come back. So you pay Rs 1,100 for one skipped term, or Rs 2,200 for two, along with your course fees. Once you register and pay, your status goes back to On the rolls.

What does struck off the rolls mean?

If you were on probation for 2 terms in a row and still do not register in the next term, your status becomes Struck off the rolls. Your official email ID is suspended. In simple words, three terms in a row with no courses gets you struck off.

To come back, you apply through a separate process and pay:

The Rs 5,800 is made up of the Rs 2,500 readmission fee plus Rs 3,300 of pending RKA. That Rs 3,300 is Rs 1,000 for each of the 3 terms plus a Rs 300 penalty (10%). After payment, your official email is turned on again, you register for courses, and your status goes back to On the rolls.

If you are struck off the rolls a second time, you are removed from the programme. The RKA and readmission fees guide has more on the payments.

Quitting the programme

Your dashboard has an "I quit the programme" option. If you use it midway through a level, your official email is suspended and your personal email is turned back on so you can still see the dashboard. You cannot reactivate your registration after this, so treat it as final.

Alumnus and certified statuses

When you finish the BSc or BS level in DS, or the BS level in ES, and leave, your status changes to Alumnus. Your official email is suspended and you use your personal email for the dashboard. See the alumni status guide for what this gives you.

If you finish the Foundation or Diploma level and then quit, you do not get Alumnus status. Instead you are marked as:

• DS: "FL certified", "DS certified", "DP certified" or "Both diplomas certified"
• ES: "FL certified" or "Diploma certified"

For how leaving after each level works, read about IITM BS exit options.

Common questions

Do I have to pay RKA every time I skip a term?

You can pay Rs 1,000 at the time, or leave it pending. If you leave it pending, you pay 10% extra when you return, so Rs 1,100 per skipped term.

What if I skip exactly two terms and come back in the third?

You are fine. Two terms in a row on probation is allowed. If you paid Rs 1,000 RKA for each term, you only pay course fees when you return. If you left it pending, you first clear Rs 2,200. Then you register for courses and your status becomes On the rolls again.

Does skipping terms stop the clock on my time limit?

The handbooks do not say that skipped terms are excluded. The whole programme must be finished within 8 years (24 terms), so long breaks reduce the time you have left. Read the maximum duration guide before planning a gap.

Can I rejoin after choosing "I quit the programme"?

No. The handbooks say no reactivation is possible after you quit. If you only need a break, stay on probation and pay RKA instead.