HC orders issue of notice to Board of Governors of IITs

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court today ordered notice to the Board of Governors of IITs of Madras and Hyderabad on a PIL seeking a direction to admit SC and ST candidates directly to B Tech programme under reservation category.

The notice was ordered by a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice A K Ganguly and Justice F M Ibrahim Kallifulla, while admitting the petition filed by Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) President Thol.Thirumavalavan.

The petitioner had contended that though a joint entrance examination (JEE) was conducted every year for admitting students for B Tech courses in the IITs, the SC/ST students, who had appeared for the JEE, were forced to take up a separate one-year preparatory course wherein the students were made to study the plus-two syllabus once again.

He submitted that if a student failed in the preparatory course, he/she was not allowed to reappear for the exam or make another attempt, forcing to forfiet his/her seat secured in the JEE.

He contended that the IITs had failed to give due representation to the SC/ST students though a constitutional directive of 22.5 per cent reservation for them in the IITs was in force.

Thirumavalavan had also prayed for a direction to the Chairman, Board of Governors of IIT (Madras) and IIT (Hyderabad) to issue a fresh notification giving details on number of faculty vacancies, academic eligiblity criteria and reservation for SCs, STs, MBCs and OBCs in faculty posts.