Why is the Engineering Design Dept. in IIT Madras considered "different" from other departments?

The engineering design department at IIT Madras is considered different from the other departments and rightfully so. Some features that make this department different from others are

• This branch has no bachelor's degree and just offers a dual degree program not subject to branch change, unlike other branches.
• This department has very few common courses like physics and thermodynamics. There are also no interdisciplinary courses, no pH lab and the Math is also different from other departments.
• The second year has no option for HS or math electives 
• There is a compulsory linear algebra course, which is an elective for the CS fourth year and is a major drawback for ED students.
• Very limited electives are offered in consecutive years and a large number of basic mandatory courses for design are offered.

All these points portray the rigor and dynamism of the curriculum. While many may not agree, this course has its own perks also which are sometimes overlooked because of the rigor of the course

• Graphics Arts: These courses include sketching, shading, painting, clay modeling, and plaster molding and are fun to learn.
• Product Design labs: These labs impart real-life knowledge of product design, architecture, development, etc. 
• Versatile electives: The program offers a wide variety of subjects to choose from that include almost everything like; strength of materials, FEM, fluid mechanics, thermo, Microprocessors and controllers, control systems, etc.
• Internship: The entire 4th year is spent in an industrial internship, and thus students don't have to get any credited internships during summers.

There are two sides to every coin, and so does this department. There certainly are many shortcomings but on the flip side, the perks it offers are often more than enough to attract the best talents.