The alumni association of IITs met recently at the Capital to discuss measures to sustain brand value of IITs. They feel it is already difficult to sustain the brand value of IITs because of the increasing government pressure on faculty quota, student quota, more IITs, hence, the new recommendation would further deter IIT's brand value.

Shashi Gulhati, former professor of civil engineering at IIT-Delhi and geotechnical engineer at Educational Consultant, said: "IITs were set up to promote quality education and they did not have to carry any political baggage. But now there is undue pressure and interference in the working of IITs. Already there is a faculty shortage in IITs and they need more quality faculty. At this juncture asking IITs to teach Humanities is irrational."

P V Indiresan, educationist and former director of IIT-Chennai, who has spent a large part of his life in the IIT system, said the institutes had been synonymous with excellence and "starting new programmes without good faculty would be a compromise with excellence."