The eligibility criterion of 60 per cent marks in class-XII for appearing in IIT Joint Entrance Examination will be raised from next year to make students pay more attention to the board exam.
In a significant move to check the growth of coaching centres, which are thriving on imparting coaching to students for IIT-JEE, the government on Monday decided to change the criterion, so that students' attention will be more focused on the board exam at Class-XII.
"The present criterion is that students need to secure 60 per cent at class-XII for appearing in IIT-JEE. This is not acceptable. The minimum marks required for IIT-JEE could be raised up to 80 to 85 per cent," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters after the meeting of the IIT Council, the apex decision making body for the elite institutes, in Delhi.
He said the three-member committee has been set up to look into the curriculum and the IIT-JEE system and submit its report within three months, suggesting required changes.
The committee comprises Science and Technology Secretary T Ramasamy, Secretary Department of Biotechnology M K Bhan and Director General CSIR Sameer Brhmachari.
"The coaching centres are giving training for the IIT entrance. As a result, the students are not studying seriously for Class-XII exam and giving more attention to entrance. We want to get rid of the coaching centres by giving more weightage to the board exam," Sibal said.
The IIT-JEE system was revised three years ago when the eligibility criteria was raised to 60 per cent at class XII level for appearing in the entrance. Sibal said a three-member committee has been set up to look into the curriculum and submit its report within three months, suggesting required changes.
The committee comprises Science and Technology Secretary T Ramasami, Secretary Department of Biotechnology M K Bhan and CSIR Director General Samir Brahmachari.
The committee will deliberate on new age courses to be started by the IITs. Sibal has been insisting that the IITs could explore starting courses in Humanities and Medicine also. The committee will give its report by January.
Besides, the government has decided to change the eligibility of students for availing the merit-cum-means scholarship being given at the end of class XII. The income criteria, which was Rs two lakh per annum as family income, has been changed to Rs 4.5 lakh.
To attract more foreign students, the government will reduce the fee structure for students from SAARC and African countries, Sibal said. PTI
