Arjun takes up case of SC student for admission in IIT

New Delhi, Sep 18 (UNI) Minister for Human Resource Development Arjun Singh has taken up the case of a Scheduled Caste candidate seeking admission in IIT, Kharagpur.

Mr Singh has written to the Director of the Institute to sympathetically consider the case for admission of Mr Balram Tudu, who secured Preparatory Course Rank 83 at IIT JEE-2006, but could not appear at the counselling held in the Institute on July seven due to non-receipt of communication sent to him by post.

The Minister is Chairman of the Council of IITs, while the IIT Director is Chairman, Joint Admission Board for IIT JEE-2006.

Mr Balram Tudu had qualified for the Preparatory Course leading to admission in the first year of various programmes at 7 IITs, IT-BHU and ISM, Dhanbad, in the academic year 2007-08.

The candidate did not secure All India Rank 83 as reported in the press. All India Rank 83 would have entitled him to admission to the first year of various programmes at the above mentioned institutions during the academic year 2006-07 itself.

JEE attempts to offer seats at the above mentioned institutions to SC/ST candidates at reduced cut-off percentage, but even then, some vacancies remain unfilled.

To fill up these vacancies in the subsequent academic year, a Preparatory Course is offered to SC/ST candidates with further reduced cut-off.

These students undergo the Preparatory Course of one year and on successful completion of this course with prescribed minimum benchmarks, they are admitted to the first year of various courses at the above mentioned institutions in the subsequent academic year. Mr Tudu had qualified for this course.

In order to avoid such instances in future, the Minister for Human Resource Development has suggested that detailed procedure about Preparatory Course along with deadlines for declaration of results, dates of counselling, etc. may also be incorporated in the information brochure on the same lines as being done for all India Rank holders.

Besides, he said, intimation about result and information about dates of counselling for all India rank holders as well as Preparatory Course rank holders from SC, ST communities should also be sent to the authorities of the candudates' district so that a separate channel of communication was available for informing such candidates in addition to the information being sent to them by post or email and publication on the website.

In case grievances were raised by other similarly placed SC, ST candidates who appeared at JEE-2006, a uniform approach of sympathetic consideration may be followed, the Minister said in the letter.

UNI NAZ PK KN1742