Core committee formed to look into NITs recommendations

The recommendations of the NITs to amend the admission procedure and hold a single entrace test both for NITs and IITs could take some more time to fructify as a core committee was constituted today to examine the suggestions.
The National Institute of Technology (NITs) have strongly favoured scrapping the 40 per cent Board examination weightage criterion which is taken into account along with the JEE main scores for selecting students.
The other recommendation was to hold a single examination for selecting students to both NITs and IITs, and a decision was expected at the NIT Council meeting at Warangal today chaired by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani.

The standing committee of the council of NITs in a meeting last week had also endorsed a proposal for revamping the entrance test, put forth by a government-appointed panel.
However, with the core committee being constituted, the recommendations could take a while now before implementation, said a council member, declining to give a timeframe.
"The Council deliberated on the proposal to have one exam, one rank, one counselling for all institutes of national importance, and also on the proposal to do away with 40 per cent weightage for the Board exam.

"Since there are other stakeholders who need to be consulted, it was decided to constitute a core committee to examine and recommend suitable course of action," said a government statement following the meeting.

According to sources, a few NIT directors insisted on continuing with the 40 per cent criterion as it has helped girls especially from rural areas get admission into the NITs.
They stressed on carrying out a detailed analysis before scrapping the 40 per cent weightage.
The NIT Council is an apex policy making body for 31 NITs, five Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology, Shibpur.