Vacant SC/ST seats in IITs to be carried forward to next year

NEW DELHI: The vacant seats meant for the SC/ST candidates in the six new IITs will be carried forward to next academic session, the Joint Admission Board of the elite institutes decided today.

The JAB of JEE 2008, which met here, decided that the 66 vacant seats for SC/ST candidates in the six new IITs will be made available for admission in 2009 in the new IITs as a one-time measure.

"Taking into account factors like infrastructure, classrooms and faculty, the JAB decided the preparatory courses for the new IITs will start in 2009. The vacancy for the SC/ST seats will be made available for admission exercises in 2009 in the new six IITs as a one-time measure," IIT Kanpur Director Sanjay Dhande told reporters.

The existing seven IITs have filled all their seats in regular as well as the preparatory courses. As for the new IITs, the issue of 66 vacancies in SC/ST seats was reviewed by the JAB.

"The heads of many IITs reported that they have surmounted many challenges in starting the new IITs in a short period of time. Even now there are several difficulties in conducting regular classes of these institutions which are managed
by their mentor IITs," he said.

The government has started six new IITs from this session. The activities of the new institutes are managed by the older institutes which are acting as mentor institutes for the new ones.