IITs ease admission norms, 75 percent cutoff in 12th standard to replace old criteria

Chennai: In a significant decision which is set to benefit students aspiring to enter IITs, the Council meet of the prestigious institutions in Chennai on Monday decided to consider the aggregate marks secured in Class XII Board Examinations for admission. [caption id=“attachment_1725561” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] IITs relaxed admission norms for students. Agencies[/caption] “In addition to the top-20 percentile condition, it has been decided now to give another provision [to aspirants seeking admission] which is the marks secured in the board exams,” Secretary, Union Ministry of Human Resources, Ashok Thakur told reporters in Chennai. The 48th meeting of the Council of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) was held in Chennai on Monday at IIT Madras, chaired by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani. Presently, only students those who are in the top-20 percentile in their Class XII board exams are admitted to the 16 IITs across the country. Also, they must have cleared the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) advanced. About 200 students with top scores in JEE, considered tough, could not get into the IITs as they were not in the top-20 percentile league. Now, with the new norm, even if a student does not figure in the 20 percentile category, she or he could aspire to get admission into the IITs provided they meet the minimum marks prescribed by the Council. Briefing about the deliberations, Thakur said the Council approved the new norm of marks secured after due deliberations. According to the norm, an aspiring OBC and general category candidate should have secured 75 percent and those belonging to SC, ST, and disabled section should have got 70 percent in class 12 board exam to be considered for admission in addition to clearing the JEE. “This norm will bring tremendous releif to students. Now marks secured formula will be there alongwith 20-percentile rule.” Replying to a question, Thakur said the heads of the IITs in Chennai and Kanpur have been given the responsibility of preparing a framework for a new India-centric ranking system for Indian instituions of higher learning. When introduced, the system will cover the IITs and the Central universities and later it would be extended to UGC funded institutions. “This ranking system will be India centric. The parameters will be relevant to India. The IITs will take the lead and devise the framework for Indian institutions.” By March 2015, the framework for the ranking system is expected to be completed. A pan-Indian IIT-alumni centre, intended to be an interface between the industry and academia, will be set up at Bangalore. “The concept has been approved by the Council,” he said. PTI