No. Of Hopefuls Rises To Almost 4L, Seats Increase To 7,300
Mumbai: It was at IIT-Bombay that Nandan Nilekani learnt “the most important lessons of my life’’, a gratitude that the 1978-batch alumnus and now Infosys chief expressed with a $ 5-million donation to the institute. Years ago, when Kanwal Rekhi of IIT-B’s class of 1967 wanted to give back to his alma mater, he fought bureaucrats in the HRD ministry to alter rules and allow government institutions to accept “private donations’’. Like them, most old students look back at their years at the prestigious institutes fondly.
This Sunday, a whole new batch of aspirants will queue up to, as a parent of an IIT student said, “get in there and grab a slice of success’’, much like their illustrious predecessors.
While entry to the IITs has never been easy, competition this year will be tougher as close to 4 lakh candidates, across 131 cities (around 193 students will take the exam at a centre in Dubai), appearing for the JEE. However, the number of seats in the 15 IITs has risen to over 7,300. “Besides the two new IITs, seats will increase as the IITs will implement the second phase of 18% OBC reservation,’’ said Bhabha Sarma, chairman JEE 2009.
The rise in the number of aspirants from 3.11 lakh in 2008 to 3.95 lakh in 2009 has forced the IITs to book more exam centres. The Mumbai zone has seen the largest surge. A K Pani, a JEE 2009 chairman at IIT-B said, “This year, we have 52 new centres in this zone. Exams will also be conducted in Sawai Madhopur, which has been added to the list this year.’’
Nearly 40% of the candidates (1.55 lakh) are from the reserved category this year. To ensure that the seats for SC/STs are not left vacant, IIT directors have decided to hike the 40% relaxation in scores to 50% from 2009. This means that if the last general category student in 2008 was admitted with an overall score of 172 out of 489, the aggregate cut-off for an SC/ST student was 104 (after a 40% relaxation). If the general category cut-off in 2009 remains the same, the bar for SC/ST candidates would be lowered to 86. Subjectwise cut-offs would also be affected.
Another relief for students is that the two new IITs—in Himachal Pradesh and Indore—will start classes this year with 120 seats each, offering B Tech programmes in computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Sources said none of the six IITs started last year will increase intake or offer new courses this year. “They do not have enough faculty members. Most professors in the new institutes have been loaned out from the old IITs,’’ said an IIT-JEE chairman. This, in turn, has restricted expansion plans of the old colleges.
Moreover, as reported in TOI earlier, the IITs have also decided that the extent of relaxation for the physically-challenged candidates in JEE-2009 will be on a par with SC/ST candidates. “The decision on conducting preparatory courses for disabled students will be taken in a Joint Admission Board meeting,’’ the JEE website states.
SCORING A POINT
IIT-JEE scores are also accepted at: Benaras Hindu University (IT School); Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad; Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Mohali, Pune, Kolkata, Bhopal, Thiruvananthapuram; Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology Society, Noida; Indian Institute of Maritime Studies (Merchant Navy), Mumbai
Hemali Chhapia I TNN
Mumbai: It was at IIT-Bombay that Nandan Nilekani learnt “the most important lessons of my life’’, a gratitude that the 1978-batch alumnus and now Infosys chief expressed with a $ 5-million donation to the institute. Years ago, when Kanwal Rekhi of IIT-B’s class of 1967 wanted to give back to his alma mater, he fought bureaucrats in the HRD ministry to alter rules and allow government institutions to accept “private donations’’. Like them, most old students look back at their years at the prestigious institutes fondly.
This Sunday, a whole new batch of aspirants will queue up to, as a parent of an IIT student said, “get in there and grab a slice of success’’, much like their illustrious predecessors.
While entry to the IITs has never been easy, competition this year will be tougher as close to 4 lakh candidates, across 131 cities (around 193 students will take the exam at a centre in Dubai), appearing for the JEE. However, the number of seats in the 15 IITs has risen to over 7,300. “Besides the two new IITs, seats will increase as the IITs will implement the second phase of 18% OBC reservation,’’ said Bhabha Sarma, chairman JEE 2009.
The rise in the number of aspirants from 3.11 lakh in 2008 to 3.95 lakh in 2009 has forced the IITs to book more exam centres. The Mumbai zone has seen the largest surge. A K Pani, a JEE 2009 chairman at IIT-B said, “This year, we have 52 new centres in this zone. Exams will also be conducted in Sawai Madhopur, which has been added to the list this year.’’
Nearly 40% of the candidates (1.55 lakh) are from the reserved category this year. To ensure that the seats for SC/STs are not left vacant, IIT directors have decided to hike the 40% relaxation in scores to 50% from 2009. This means that if the last general category student in 2008 was admitted with an overall score of 172 out of 489, the aggregate cut-off for an SC/ST student was 104 (after a 40% relaxation). If the general category cut-off in 2009 remains the same, the bar for SC/ST candidates would be lowered to 86. Subjectwise cut-offs would also be affected.
Another relief for students is that the two new IITs—in Himachal Pradesh and Indore—will start classes this year with 120 seats each, offering B Tech programmes in computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Sources said none of the six IITs started last year will increase intake or offer new courses this year. “They do not have enough faculty members. Most professors in the new institutes have been loaned out from the old IITs,’’ said an IIT-JEE chairman. This, in turn, has restricted expansion plans of the old colleges.
Moreover, as reported in TOI earlier, the IITs have also decided that the extent of relaxation for the physically-challenged candidates in JEE-2009 will be on a par with SC/ST candidates. “The decision on conducting preparatory courses for disabled students will be taken in a Joint Admission Board meeting,’’ the JEE website states.
SCORING A POINT
IIT-JEE scores are also accepted at: Benaras Hindu University (IT School); Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad; Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Mohali, Pune, Kolkata, Bhopal, Thiruvananthapuram; Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology Society, Noida; Indian Institute of Maritime Studies (Merchant Navy), Mumbai
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