Panel suggests major changes in IIT admission process to MHRD

Updated on: Friday, June 25, 2010

A panel of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has recommended that 70 percent weightage be given to Class 12 marks and 30 percent to marks obtained in an aptitude test conducted more than once a year for the Indian Institute of Technology - Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE).

According to the proposal, in the month of June every year, a cut-off list based on the Class 12 results and the aptitude test will be prepared. The top 40,000 candidates according to the cut-offs would then be eligible to give an add-on test for admission to IITs.

The panel was headed by the director of IIT-Kharagpur, Damodar Acharya. They had submitted their report to HRD minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday and had also suggested that the aptitude test be a continuous process and students be allowed to take it more than once.

The aptitude test, according to the panel's proposal, would include questions on reasoning, numerical ability and communications skills. Only the best scores in the test will be taken into consideration.

Furthermore, after scoring well on the aptitude test, there would be another test for IIT aspirants that would contain questions from physics, chemistry and mathematics. The panel has, however, put a restriction on the number of times the add-on test can be attempted.

The panel, in their proposal, also said that if the new system is implemented, students will have to state beforehand whether they are applying for admission into IITs or other institutes that admit students on the basis of JEE. Students will also have to inform beforehand about the branch of engineering they are interested in.

Panel suggests major changes in IIT admission process to MHRD

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