Plan for common counselling for IITs and NITs

With seats in certain national level institutes remaining vacant due to multiple counselling, the IITs and NITs could start common counselling, a move that would smoothen the admission process and reduce hardship of students.

At present, the IITs admit students by conducting their own counselling while the NITs, which are institutions of national importance, take students from the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) merit list.

As the IIT-JEE counselling and AIEEE counselling are held separately, students block seats in more than one institute and finally take admission in the institute of their choice. This results in vacancy of seats in some of the institutes.

"There is a plan to have common counselling of IIT-JEE and AIEEE. But this may not happen before 2011," an IIT director said. The IIT directors discussed the issue with HRD Minister Kapil Sibal last month.

In case of separate counselling, the students have to go to different centres to attend the counselling and select the institute of their choice.

The IIMs are also planning to have a common counselling for admission. At present, each IIM is holding its own counselling to take students from the CAT merit list. The IIM directors have discussed the issue with Sibal also.

An IIT director said the IITs have their own JEE committee which is studying the reforms to be brought in. The NIT Council, the apex body to take decision on matters of NITs, has also set up a committee to revisit the AIEEE and suggest any change required.

"A decision on common counselling issue will be taken after both the IIT and NIT committees submit their reports on reforms in the entrance examination," he said.

The proposed system will be of immense help as it will smoothen the process of admission. Students will be able to chose their institute from the common counselling session and take admission there.

About 10 lakh students appear for AIEEE every year while about four lakh sit for IIT-JEE.

About 2.5 lakh students are appearing for CAT.