IIT-M proposes sports quota with aim to boost diversity
IIT-M presented the idea at the 55th IIT council meeting, minutes of which were released by the union ministry of education on Thursday. Currently, the IITs don’t have a sports quota. Many of the country’s premium universities, including Delhi University, do.
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras, IIT-M has proposed a sports quota in IITs with an aim to boost diversity in the country’s premier engineering institutions and to provide an opportunity to students performing well in the field of sport at state, national and international levels, to study at the IITs.
IIT-M presented the idea at the 55th IIT council meeting, minutes of which were released by the union ministry of education on Thursday. Currently, the IITs don’t have a sports quota. Many of the country’s premium universities, including Delhi University, do.
The council, the apex body of the IITs is now looking at what this would mean. “In this regard, a detailed implementation modalities and timelines for academic session 2024-25 may be prepared in consultation with JEE Apex Board (JAB)),” the minutes read.
JAB is responsible for deciding guidelines for the conduct of JEE (Main) examination, and also coordinating the conduct of JEE (Advanced) exam for admissions to IITs.
IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti confirmed that he presented the idea at the meeting and said it was well received. “ The notion of sports quota exists in the higher education system in India. We are now looking at the possibility of bringing in into the IIT system. In principle, all IITs have welcomed the proposal but we need to work on the modalities of its implementation.”
Explaining the logic behind the proposal, Kamakoti said, “It is to bring more diversity at the IIT campuses, and to give opportunity to students who pursue sports at the school level and have represented their states or the nation.”
He added: “We have to come up with a plan on who will be eligible for admissions, how do we admit them, what sort of sports should be included, and how to provide opportunity to these students to pursue sports along with studies once they are admitted. Besides, there have to be international level sports facilities and coaching at the IIT campuses.” IIT-M has already started looking into these and is hoping to submit a report to the council in the next two to three months, Kamakoti said.
