Reservation Policy in Indian Institutes of Technology - Policy Implementation

Policy Implementation

Currently, there exists a reservation of 15% for SC and 7.5% for ST candidates. However, the IITs are not bound to fill these seats, and many of them remain unfilled owing to the nature of selection process.. As per the rules, all the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates have to appear in the Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) with the rest of the students. Based on the results of IIT-JEE, those SC/ST candidates that qualify by a relaxed selection criteria of scoring more than about half of the marks scored by the last General Category student are admitted directly to IITs. (In 2008, the ratio was 58% which further reduced to 50.2% in 2011). Another slab of candidates who do not meet this relaxed admission criteria are offered a Preparatory Course of physics, chemistry and mathematics at the IIT concerned. After one year of study, only those candidates who are able to clear a cut-off in the End Semester Exams are allowed into regular studies at the IITs. The seats reserved for SC/ST students are not transferable to General Category and roll on to the next year's students from the Preparatory Courses.