Foreign Nationals are no longer required to write JEE Mains. They can register for JEE Advanced 2019 directly, subject to fulfilment of the eligibility criteria. This was decided at the IIT Council meeting on Friday with an aim to position the IITs as global education destinations. The scheme is also applicable to Overseas Citizenship of India cardholders.
At present, admission to the IITs is held in two stages. Students who secure ranks among the top 2 lakh in JEE-Mains can sit for the JEE-Advances exams for entry into the IITs. With the latest decision, foreign students will be exempted from sitting in the JEE-Mains.
Encouraging such students to choose IITs was the major agenda before the Council. Apart from reducing the selection test, the Council has also decided to offer scholarships to such students. Students from Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore, Maldives, UAE and Ethiopia will be allowed to directly appear for the JEE (advanced) test, skipping the JEE Mains that Indian students have to take.
“The idea has been approved in principle. Each IIT will also ratify it and the IIT Council will approve it next week,” an official said. This was being done to showcase India’s soft power. In any case, he added, foreign students would not eat into the seats meant for Indians.
The primary reason, however, is to place the IITs among the top in the world ranking. “In all international rankings one of the key parameters is international students and IITs lose out in a big way despite scoring well on other parameters,” another official said. “Foreign nationals will be given seats under the supernumerary category,” he said, adding that IIT Bombay has been entrusted with implementing the programme.
The cost of the admission will be recovered from the foreign student and government will not bear any expense on account of foreign students. They will be given the same facilities as Indian students.
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