Tech glitch delays IIT admission process

Amit Kumar (name changed) couldn’t contain his excitement when he logged on to the IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology-joint entrance examination) website on Thursday to check the allotment of courses. But, his enthusiasm was short-lived, as the allotment list was nowhere on the site.

The process of admission into the IITs is taking longer than the usual this time. The first course allotment round, expected to begin on June 14, has been stopped in its tracks due to a technical glitch. Course and IIT allotments are based on the merit of a student and the number of seats available for a particular course.

“We checked throughout the day, hoping that it was only a matter of time before the allotments are released,” complains a student.

The IIT-JEE results were declared on May 18, and the online application process for choice of IIT and courses went on from May 19 till June 10.

A V Mahajan, chairman of the IIT-JEE, Bombay zone, blames a software glitch for the delay But, he assures that the course allotment list will be uploaded on Saturday.

Praveen Tyagi, managing director of IITian’s PACE, a coaching institute for IIT-JEE preparation, says, “There has been no communication from the authorities on the delay. This is creating a sense of panic among students. This has never happened in the entire history of the IIT-JEE.”