No class 12 weightage in NIT admissions

The decision of the standing committee of the council of NITs will be ratified by the NIT Council that meets on 1 Oct.

According to the existing policy, 40% weightage is given to board marks and 60% to JEE (Mains) score for admission to NITs. The decision to do away with the system comes in the backdrop of failure of CBSE to come out with JEE (Mains) ranking lists on time.

A number of state boards, including those of Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Assam, Kerala and Karnataka, have delayed submitting their results in the past, leading to delays in publishing ranking lists which in turn delayed the joint counselling for admissions to IITs and NITs.

The weightage system was introduced in 2012 by then HRD Minister Kapil Sibal in the belief that students would pay more attention to board exams instead of concentrating on the curriculum of coaching institutes.

Following the delay in publishing of ranking lists, the Smriti Irani led HRD Ministry formed a panel to study the weightage system and submit its recommendations.

The panel recommended scrapping of the weightage system, sources said. Its report argued that the system had failed to check the menace of coaching centres and instead led students to opt for them to improve their board results.
(From HT)