Helpdesks to assist JEE applicants

“We would like to make application process convenient to even those who have no access to computers and the Internet,” Organising Chairman Dr T S Natarajan told Deccan Herald on Sunday.

This year IIT-Chennai has assumed the chairmanship of JEE’s organisation rotated between the 15 IITs in the country.

Stating that help lines for the four southern states would start functioning from this year, Dr Natarajan said the CMC has a pact with the IIT to set up 40 Help Desk Centres on its own and through its franchises.

Applicants could simply walk into any of these centres to take the assistance from personnel to fill-up the JEE form and complete all the necessary formalities. The CMC centres will ensure that applications are “reasonably perfect”, Natarajan said.
In Bangalore, CMC would set up two help-line centres, including one in its Palace Road campus. It would also have centres in Bidar, Bellary, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Chickmagalur, Chamarajnagara, Davangere, Gadag, Gulburga, Haveri, Hubli, Karwar, Koppal, Shimoga, Tumkur, Udupi and Mysore, with a view to assist applicants from rural and semi-urban areas. 

He added that those having access to computers can directly apply online, the process for which commences on November 1 and will be open till December 7.   
Besides the facility to apply online, Dr Natarajan said the fee for this year's exams have been slashed by 10 per cent.

While cost of application has been Rs 1,000 for general and OBC applicants and Rs 500 for girls and Scheduled Caste.Tribe and Physically Disabled (PD) candidates, the reduction for online applicants will be Rs 900 for general and OBC categories and Rs 450 for SC/ST/PD and female, Natarajan said.

IIT aspirants could also apply off-line by buying the application form from designated branches of the Nationalized 'Indian Bank' in the 'Madras Zone (comprising the four Southern States and Puducherry UT).

One important change made in this off-line application procedure this year is that students could fill up the forms and "resubmit them" in the same designated branch of Indian Bank at their respective places. They will in turn send all the forms to the JEE Organising Committee at IIT-Chennai.

Dr Natarajan said two toll-free numbers will also be set up in addition for students to take help in English and Hindi. Numbers for the toll-free lines will be notified soon.
Organisers will also introduce biometric fingerprinting for the candidates on experimental basis this year as an additional means of determining their identities both while attending classes and wile taking the examinations.

While general category students can attend counselling online after the publication of the results, other those belonging to other categories have to visit the campus as usual.
JEE-2010 will be held on April 11 to fill 9,000 seats in 15 IITs across the country. Organisers expect  5 lakh applications this year, compared to 4 lakh during JEE-2009.

Panel to examine IIT fee structure

A high level committee appointed by the IIT Council will revisit the fee structure as part of its mandate to assess how the revenue could be increased for the premier institutes, reports PTI from New Delhi. The IIT Council has set up a five-member committee headed by Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar for the purpose.