New formula pacifies IIT faculty members

A compromise offer worked out by the Joint Admission Board (JAB) for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has pacified agitating members of the All India IIT Faculty Federation (AIIITFF). Even so, the problem of autonomy of the IITs persists, according to the federation.

Under the compromise worked out, while the board marks will continue to be an eligibility criterion for admission to the IITs, the current cut-off of 60 per cent aggregate marks will go. Instead, a certain percentile of the topper’s score will be considered.

In the JAB meeting held last week, directors of the IITs accepted a proposal to allow only the top 20 per cent students in the Class XII board examinations to appear in the entrance examination.

“We want to support schooling and we think this new formula will support schooling system. Rather than having an absolute percentage, this formula will work better,” said a faculty member from AIIITFF. “However, faculty members still have the issue of autonomy of IITs. It all depends on what decision council will take on meeting on June 27.”

“If the IIT Council decides on something and gives the IIT senates the liberty to take a final call, the senates will feel they have been respected for academic matter — and will positively respond to that,,” he added.

IIT directors who attended the JAB meeting did not want to comment on the matter.