Joint counselling for IITs, engg colleges

Currently, the IITs take students through Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and others through an All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE). “The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry is keen on such a proposal. There was some informal discussion as well,” an IIT director said on Thursday, while requesting anonymity.

Authorities said the effort would solve the problem of a number of seats going vacant after the culmination of the selection procedure. Many students seek admission to more than one institute as they sit through separate counselling in quest of the best one.

The director said this did not mean that JEE and AIEEE would be merged. “It’s all about keeping the counselling a single affair to reduce seats going vacant.”