Nationwide tests’ winners to get head-start in race to enter IITS, NITS

nNEW DELHI: Winners of nationwide tests like Olympiads would get a head-start in the race to enter the IITS or other premier institutions as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, passed by the Union Cabinet on Friday, has recommended such an approach.

The policy, which has laid much focus on grooming youngsters in the fields they are talented in, has also suggested that Olympiads and other such competitions should be broad-based and conducted in regional languages as well.

“Olympiads and competitions in various subjects will be conducted across the country, with clear coordination and progression from school to local to state to national levels, to ensure that all students may participate at all levels for which they qualify,” says the NEP document.

Efforts will be made to make these available in rural areas and in regional languages to ensure widespread participation, it adds.

“Public and private universities, including premier institutions like the IITS and NITS, would be encouraged to use merit- National Education Policy 2020 20 based results from National, and International Olympiads, and results from other relevant national programmes, as part of the criteria for admissions into their undergraduate programmes,” says a key recommendation of the NEP document.

The 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) are the most coveted educational institutions in the technical fields and generally provide admissions in their sought after B Tech courses on the basis of a highly competitive Joint Entrance Exam (JEE). The National Institutes of Technology (NITS) also use the JEE results.

Apart from the performance in the test, these institutes also factor in the marks scored in class 12 boards even though an exception has been made this year due to the impact of the pandemic COVID-19.

EFFORTS WILL BE MADE TO MAKE NATIONWIDE COMPETITIVE EXAMS AVAILABLE IN RURAL AREAS AND IN REGIONAL LANGUAGES, NEW EDUCATION POLICY SAYS