NITs relax admission norms: 'Only pass marks needed in class 12 examinations'

In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) today relaxed admission norms for admissions into National Institute of Technology (NITs) and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs). NITs will admit undergraduate students based on their performance in Joint Entrance Exam-Mains (JEE-Mains) and will discount the class 12 board examination marks in selection process, the human resource development ministry said today. "JEE Main 2020 qualified candidates will now only need to obtain a passing certificate in class XII examination irrespective of the marks obtained," Union human resource and development minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tweeted today.

Earlier, along with the performance in JEE-Mains, NITs used to demand either 75% mark in the board examinations or a place in the top 20 percentile of their respective boards.

Earlier, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) said that they will admit the students based on their performance in JEE-Advanced. The marks in class 12 board examinations will not be necessary for admission to IITs this year.

“For admissions to #IITs, apart from qualifying the #JEE (Advanced), the eligibility was to secure either minimum score of 75% marks in class XII Board exams or rank among the top 20 percentile in their qualifying examinations. Due to the partial cancellation of class XII exams by several Boards, Joint Admission Board (JAB) has decided to relax the eligibility criterion for #JEE (Advanced) 2020 qualified candidates this time," Pokhriyal said.

The board examinations were disrupted due coronavirus pandemic. On July 3, the union human resource development ministry had postponed the JEE examinations and the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) to September, citing a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases. The JEE (Main) examination will now held between September 1 to 6 and JEE (Advanced) examination will be held on September 27.

"Keeping in mind the safety of students and to ensure quality education, we have decided to postpone JEE and NEET examinations," Pokhriyal earlier said.