IIT-JEE

The new method evolved for the IIT admissions from next year has shaken the aspirants from the State as they would be filtered through three layers as against just one exam of the existing pattern.

As per the new method evolved, aspirants have to appear for the JEE Main examination and be among the top 1.5 lakh candidates to be short-listed for the JEE Advanced test. A good rank in the JEE Advanced test may not guarantee a seat as they also have to be among the top 20 per cent of the successful candidates in the Intermediate examinations.

It means their calibre will be tested in three layers, and their performance alone will not count as their being in the top 20 per cent of Intermediate examinations will be decided by other candidates’ performance. “Instead of simplifying the test, they have ended up complicating it,” feels Spandana, an aspirant. “Students are definitely worried and confused as they have to concentrate on three different tests for one seat,” says Kondala Rao, IIT trainer with the Narayana Group of institutions.

Government college students may lose out in this system as only a few of them figure in the top 20 per cent of the qualifiers.

“It will shut doors for Government college students,” says P. Madhusudhan Reddy, president of Government Junior Lecturers Association (GJLA).

He says this year 56 students from the social welfare hostels in the State cracked the IIT-JEE and if 20 per cent system is adopted there will be very few qualifiers from such institutes.

He argues that the whole debate started for a single common entrance exam, and now they have ended up creating two additional layers of filters and doubling the anxiety and burden among the aspirants and parents.

“The changes have made the IIT entrance more exclusive,” says Srikanth, Director of Delta IIT Academy. He, however, says changes may not affect the chances of our state students much as most IIT aspirants anyway figure in the top 20 per cent. “A positive effect is that corporate colleges will give more importance to Intermediate education,” Dr. Srikanth feels.

The gap between the Main exam and the Advanced test is a concern for students, says Mr. Kondala Rao adding that they could have conducted the Advanced Test on the same day as well to reduce burden. There is no clarity as well on how the Main exam will be conducted. Will it be online or offline or a combination of both?