Ending a month-long row
over introduction of a common entrance test (CET) for undergraduate engineering
courses, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on Wednesday arrived at a
compromise, whereby class XII scores are used to select candidates, while the
tech schools continue to conduct their own admission tests.
The new format is expected to make entrance into the top tech schools tougher, but has emerged as a halfway house between the HRD ministry, which is keen on increasing the importance of board exams, and the IITs who don’t want to cede their autonomy.
According to the new formula, agreed to at a meeting of the IIT Council, all aspirants will give the JEE-Main exam. Of the approximately 12 lakh candidates, only the top 1.5 lakh will qualify to appear for the JEE-Advanced test. The two tests will be held on separate days within four-six weeks of each other.
The new format is expected to make entrance into the top tech schools tougher, but has emerged as a halfway house between the HRD ministry, which is keen on increasing the importance of board exams, and the IITs who don’t want to cede their autonomy.
According to the new formula, agreed to at a meeting of the IIT Council, all aspirants will give the JEE-Main exam. Of the approximately 12 lakh candidates, only the top 1.5 lakh will qualify to appear for the JEE-Advanced test. The two tests will be held on separate days within four-six weeks of each other.
COMPLEX FORMULA
All aspirants (approx 12 lakh) to sit for JEE-Main exam Top 1.5 lakh to appear for JEE-Advanced test. All 1.5 lakh students will be given a score and All India Rank But selection for IITs will also depend on board marks Students will have to be in top 20 percentile of their state or central board to qualify for IITs
All aspirants (approx 12 lakh) to sit for JEE-Main exam Top 1.5 lakh to appear for JEE-Advanced test. All 1.5 lakh students will be given a score and All India Rank But selection for IITs will also depend on board marks Students will have to be in top 20 percentile of their state or central board to qualify for IITs
Sibal skips IIT council meet
All 1.5 lakh students will be given a score and an All India Rank. However, they will be selected for IITs not just on the basis of their rank in the advanced test but also their board marks. For this, students will have to figure in the top 20 percentile of their state or central board. So going by last year’s scores, the cutoff percentage for a student appearing in CBSE board will be 78%, while for one appearing in the Uttar Pradesh state board will be 65%- 66%. This is expected to standardize varying standards across central and state boards.
The compromise does seem laboured but this is what IITs will have to settle for. The original government proposal, backed by the IIT Council, drew flak for messing up the admission format without achieving the professed objective of reducing dependence on tuitions.
The ministry’s plan to introduce ‘one nation, one test’ has been only partially fulfilled although the new format means board scores will reflect in a candidate’s selection. On May 28, the IIT Council had announced that entrance for IIT will be based on a new format replacing the 60% cutoff for school marks with a 50:50 weightage on the class XII score and JEE Main. The merit list for IIT was to be based on the Advance test. The formula for centrally funded engineering institutions, including NITs and IIITs, was 40% weightage to class XII score and 30% weightage each for JEE Main and Advanced.
The Council’s decision and consequently its powers have been challenged by IIT-Kanpur and Delhi Senates in the last few weeks with the institutes declaring they will hold their own entrance tests. HRD minister Kapil Sibal did not attend Wednesday’s meeting though he is chairman of the Council. Sources said his absence was intended to send out a message that there was no political interference in IIT’s decision-making process.
All 1.5 lakh students will be given a score and an All India Rank. However, they will be selected for IITs not just on the basis of their rank in the advanced test but also their board marks. For this, students will have to figure in the top 20 percentile of their state or central board. So going by last year’s scores, the cutoff percentage for a student appearing in CBSE board will be 78%, while for one appearing in the Uttar Pradesh state board will be 65%- 66%. This is expected to standardize varying standards across central and state boards.
The compromise does seem laboured but this is what IITs will have to settle for. The original government proposal, backed by the IIT Council, drew flak for messing up the admission format without achieving the professed objective of reducing dependence on tuitions.
The ministry’s plan to introduce ‘one nation, one test’ has been only partially fulfilled although the new format means board scores will reflect in a candidate’s selection. On May 28, the IIT Council had announced that entrance for IIT will be based on a new format replacing the 60% cutoff for school marks with a 50:50 weightage on the class XII score and JEE Main. The merit list for IIT was to be based on the Advance test. The formula for centrally funded engineering institutions, including NITs and IIITs, was 40% weightage to class XII score and 30% weightage each for JEE Main and Advanced.
The Council’s decision and consequently its powers have been challenged by IIT-Kanpur and Delhi Senates in the last few weeks with the institutes declaring they will hold their own entrance tests. HRD minister Kapil Sibal did not attend Wednesday’s meeting though he is chairman of the Council. Sources said his absence was intended to send out a message that there was no political interference in IIT’s decision-making process.
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