Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) courses have been a mandatory and integral part of BTech programs across IITs since the system's inception in the 1950s. HSS subjects account for at least 10% or more of the total credits required for earning a BTech degree. These courses, which vary depending on the faculty's expertise and focus areas in each of the 23 IITs, cover a broad range of topics including Communication Skills, Economics, History, Language and Literature, Management, Philosophy, Psychology, Public Policy, and Sociology, among others.
