How tough is securing above 9.0 CGPA at IIT Kharagpur?

I wouldn’t say that securing an above 9.0 CGPA at IIT Kharagpur is very tough. With the right motivation, even an average student can get a 9+ CGPA. When it comes to grading, IIT KGP has two methods

• Relative Grading: Under this, professors are required to give a 9+ CGPA to 25% of the batch which comprises roughly 100 students. Now it’s up to the professor to decide who is worthy of such high grades. While some professors give a 10 CGPA to only the deserving students, many professors casually grade the students without much thought.
• Absolute Grading: This is a rather rigid grading system wherein grading is done on the basis of cumulative marks. Students scoring 90–100 get a 10 while those 80–90 get a 9 and so on. The upper and lower limits are not fixed and the cutoff is decided by the professor itself. This grading system is usually followed in the Maths Department.

So we can conclude that getting a 9+ CGPA becomes a lot easier if you have no other distractions such as research or social work and you have been attending classes regularly.

Lastly, I would like to say that CGPA is not the only deciding factor. There are many students with a decent CGPA of 8+ who have made decent accomplishments and done high-level research or wonders in startups. The main agenda is to gain maximum exposure and then plan your future.