IITs may scrap top-20 percentile norm in 2014

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Hyderabad: The controversial top-20 percentile norm for IIT entrance test is likely to be scrapped from 2014.
The rule has resulted in huge variation in 10+2 cut-off marks ,among students of different boards, to be eligible for IIT admissions. This has led to an uproar among students and parents, besides several petitions being filed in various courts, against the rule.
Nearly 80 students from the state had missed IIT seats this year, after they failed to figure in top-20 percentile cut-off, which was highest in the country at 91.8 per cent.
The IITs are likely to prescribe a common cut-off of 75 per cent marks in 10+2 board exams, instead of top-20 percentile from 2014. A decision over this is expected to be taken at the meeting of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) of the IITs.
The new cut-off of 75 per cent marks will be higher when compared with 60 per cent cut off in older IIT-JEE, which was conducted till 2012.
However, a final announcement to this effect will be made after the IIT Council approves the amendment in the meeting to be held on September 3.
From this year, the entrance test to IITs was conducted in two stages, namely JEE (Main) and JEE (Advanced), by replacing the earlier single-stage IIT-JEE. Students had to first opt for JEE (Main) for the purpose, which replaced AIEEE.
Only top 1.5 lakh rankers in JEE (Main) were allowed to appear for JEE (Advanced).Qualified students in JEE (Advanced) also had to figure in the top-20 percentile list in respective 10+2 board exams to be eligible for IIT admissions in the counselling.
Several students even after performing better in JEE (Main) and JEE (Advanced) failed to secure a seat in IITs as they failed to figure in top-20 percentile list in 10+2 boards.
While the cut-off for AP students to figure in top-20 percentile list was 91.8 per cent, the highest in the country, was followed by Tamil Nadu, at 90.9 per cent and Kerala 85.2 per cent.
The CBSE’s cut-off was 81.6 per cent, ICSE (83.2), UP (73), Bihar (65) and West Bengal (61.2).
There was common cut-off of 60 per cent marks in 10+2 exams across the country, when IIT-JEE was held till 2012. The new JEE format has resulted in huge variation in cut-offs among different states and boards.