IITs to change admission criteria

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have proposed changes in its admission process. As per the earlier admission process in order to be eligible for admissions at IITs candidates needed to be in the top 20 percentile in their class 12 examinations. In order to secure admission at any IIT, candidates had to fulfill this criterion even if they had cleared the entrance test. However, the IIT’s Joint Admission Board (JAB) met in Mumbai last week and proposed that candidates should be given relaxation if they do not meet this criterion.

This format wherein candidates need to fulfill this additional percentile criteria was introduces by Kapil Sibal under the previous UPA government and barely two years after the introduction of it, the IITs are now considering tweaking it a bit.

The proposal of JAB is expected to be discussed at the IIT Council meeting which is scheduled to be held on September 22, 2014. This meeting will be attended by HRD minister, Smriti Irani also. If the Council approves this change in admission process then students who have already taken admission will not be affected.

Currently, candidates are admitted in the 16 IITs on basis of their performance in the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Advanced and also ensuring that they have secured a spot in the top 20 percentile in Class 12.