IIT-JEE criteria to be tough from next year

The eligibility criteria of 60 percent 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 criteria, so that students' attention will be more focused on the board exam at Class-XII.

"The present criteria is that students need to secure 60 percent 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 percent," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters after the meeting of the IIT Council, the apex decision making body for the elite institutes, at New 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 comprise 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 three-member committee will also review the curriculum of the IITs and suggest the modification required to help these institutes move forward.

"The committee will decide what should be the curriculum of the IIT's so that the institutes will be able to compete with the global brands," Sibal said.

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.

The IIT Council also discussed about the impact foreign universities and their entry into India after the government passes the Foreign Education Providers Bill.

Some of the IITs are interested to collaborate with the foreign universities, he said.

To attract more foreign students, the government will reduce the fee structure for students from SAARC and African countries, Sibal said.