'Prepare uniform roadmap for admitting foreign students to IITs'

New Delhi: As IITs eye their share of foreign students, the HRD Ministry has asked IIT-Bombay to prepare a uniform roadmap for holding Gate and JEE exams abroad.

The decision to prepare a roadmap for holding these entrance tests abroad is based on the recommendations of a committee which submitted its report recently.

"Director, IIT-Bombay, is requested to prepare a plan of action for conducting JEE and GATE in selected countries as proposed in the report immediately," a ministry memorandum said.

In September 2010, the Council of IITs had approved that up to 20 per cent of sanctioned strength of post-graduate students in IITs may be international students to be provided admission on a supernumerary basis.

In October 2010, the Council while welcoming the proposal, decided that there should be a uniform system in all the IITs and Prof Devang V Khakhar, Director of IIT Bombay had submitted a report on comprehensive system to attract international students to the IITs earlier this month.

The Council has now recommended that the entire cost of admission of the foreign students be recovered from the student fee which may or may not be covered by a scholarship.

There shall be no additional cost to government on account of these admissions.

It made clear that there "shall be no reduction in the seats available for students in India while providing admissions to foreign students."

It also said there will be no discrimination in giving facilities between Indian and foreign students.