Are IIT Placements Falling? NIRF 2026 Report Reveals a Shocking Truth

IIT Kharagpur Seat Matrix for B.Tech Program

The batch size in a B.Tech program for the 2021 JoSAA seat Matrix was 941, and it remained the same for the 2022 JoSAA seat matrix as well, indicating that student intake at IIT Kharagpur for B.Tech remains stable across the batches.

IIT Kharagpur Seat Matrix Batch of 2020-21, 2021-22

Now, let us evaluate the NIRF 2026 placement data for the B.Tech program at IIT Kharagpur

IIT Kharagpur NIRF 2026 Report

UG [4 Years Program(s)]: Placement & Higher Studies for Previous 3 Years

As per the data submitted to NIRF, we found the following observations:

Intake Vs Admitted Students

For the 2021-2022 Academic Year:

Number of Intake Students for the Academic Year 2021-2022: 943

Number of Admitted Students for the Academic Year 2021-2022: 951

This data suggests that eight more students were admitted than the intake in the year 2021-2022, possibly because of supernumerary students or any other reason. It is usual to have an increase or decrease of 7-8 seats for a premier institution. But overall, we are considering the JoSAA seat matrix of 941 students (2-3 seats might be supernumerary).

For the 2020-2021 Academic Year:

Number of Intake Students for the Academic Year 2020-2021: 942

Number of Admitted Students for the Academic Year 2020-2021: 717

Why Are Large Numbers of B.Tech Seats Not Filled at IIT Kharagpur?

The 2022 - 2021 data points to the fact that although the intake was 942, only 717 students were admitted. What about the rest of the 225 seats that were unfilled, that too in a reputed institution such as IIT Kharagpur? This is a huge question mark.

Students who were admitted in the academic year 2021 -2022 graduated in 2024 - 2025 and those who were admitted in 2020 -2021 batch, they graduated in 2023 -2024 academic year. Let us now look at the number of students who graduated and the number of students who got placed.

Graduated Vs Placed Students in an IIT Kharagpur B.Tech Program

In the academic year 2024 -2025, out of the 951 students who enrolled, 882 students graduated. More than 70 students did not even graduate. It is a possibility that these students might have failed or dropped out of the programme.

Then again, out of the 882 students who had enrolled for the programme, 438 students were placed and the rest 367 students opted for higher studies. The median salary offered to the placed students was Rs. 20.74 Lakh.

While there is an increase in the number of graduated students, the number of students placed has fallen to 438 over the previous three B.Tech batches at IIT Kharagpur.

In the academic year 2023 -2024, of the 717 students, 679 graduated and 517 students were placed. We are missing around 225 students who did not enrol for the programme. 83 students opted out for higher education.

The Two Big Questions that Every JEE Aspirant Should Ask:

As per the official NIRF placements findings, there are two major concerns that every JEE aspirant needs to get clarification about:

• Why is there a huge gap of about 225 unfilled seats in the 2020-2021 for B.Tech at IIT Kharagpur?

• Why do around 42 per cent of the B.Tech students who graduated from IIT Kharagpur (one of the leading and top-notch engineering institutions in India) opt for higher studies rather than getting placed?

The answer to these questions is not clear. So, let us have a closer look at the NIRF data for a clearer picture of the IIT Kharagpur Placements.

IIT Kharagpur NIRF 2026 Report UG [4 Years Programs]

Key Observations from the Above IIT Kharagpur NIRF 2026 Report for a B.Tech Program:

• As per the 2024-2025 data, almost half of the B.Tech class is either not seeking placement or not getting placement, as the data indicates a placement percentage of 49.66 per cent only among the graduates.

• The number of graduates who opted for higher studies has jumped from 6.90 per cent to 41.61 per cent over the last three years.

• The last year 2024-2025 data reveals that only 49.66 per cent of the B.Tech students graduated, and 41.61 per cent moved on to higher studies, which raises a major concern.

• In 2023-2024 data, 225 seats remained vacant. The key concern here is: Being such a highly demanding engineering institution, 225 B.Tech seats were not filled.

Based on this NIRF report for IIT Kharagpur placement analysis, there are many questions causing concerns, such as:

• Why would a graduate holding a B.Tech degree from IIT Kharagpur opt for higher studies?

• Are placements for B.Tech at IIT Kharagpur declining?

• Are students at IITs also not getting placed in some B.Tech branches?

For now, the exact reason remains unclear. But one possibility could be that the institute might be maintaining its IIT tag by showcasing the median salary of Rs. 20.74 Lakh, and not showing the appropriate data of the placed students in the last batch.

The 438 placed students from the last year's data might be above 700 placed students. The institution only showed the number of 438 students who got placed and might not have shown the actual numbers because those students might have got placed at much lower salaries.

The reason behind hiding the actual numbers is that maybe the institution wants to keep up with that IIT brand image and set a false narrative. But if they are actually doing so and claiming a median salary around Rs. 20 Lakhs, then the other aspect that almost half of the students in a B.Tech class are not getting placed or do not want to get placed must also be shown clearly. This is the reality uncovered by evaluating the NIRF data submitted by IIT Kharagpur.

So engineering aspirants should carefully evaluate the data before choosing any engineering institute. Any misleading or improper information can impact your admission decision.

Here, the key question is not whether IITs are the best engineering institutions or not. IITs are among the best engineering institutions in India, but there should be much more clarity in the official data represented for a clear picture about the B.Tech placements. As the IIT Kharagpur Placement 2025 data is raising big concerns for the JoSAA aspirants, aspirants need to look more closely at the data rather than just believing in headline figures.

Key Questions that Every Aspirant Should Ask Before Choosing a College?

• How many students graduated?

• How many students got placed?

• How many students further moved for higher education?

• How are they calculating the placement rate?

• Does the data provided give a clear picture of placement statistics?

These are the key questions that students need to get answers to make the right decision regarding their college choice. With the availability of clearer official placement data, students will get more transparency about college placements and can make better decisions for their careers.