The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has implemented a new admission pathway for its BTech and BS programmes, allowing top-performing students from foreign Olympiads to get admission.
This pathway, which will begin in the 2025-26 academic year, offers an alternative to the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced for highly gifted students who excel in international Olympiads in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and informatics, the Times of India reports.
Reserved seats will be available in five departments: biological sciences and bioengineering; computer science and engineering; chemistry; economic sciences; and mathematics and statistics.
According to the Times of India, this project is intended for students with a good foundation in Olympiad disciplines, allowing them to avoid the traditional JEE route and pursue studies in their areas of competence at IIT Kanpur.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible, students must meet the age restrictions for JEE (Advanced) candidates and have finished Class XII (or equivalent), with physics, chemistry, and math as required courses. In addition, they must have attended a corresponding Olympiad preparation camp in the subject for which they are applying.
Students who have previously been admitted to IITs through the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) or who have had their IIT admissions cancelled are ineligible for this route.
How are candidates selected?
The selection process has two steps.
Initially, each department will shortlist applicants based on their Olympiad ranks. Shortlisted candidates will subsequently take a mandatory written exam and, if necessary, an interview.
A selection committee, chaired by the dean of academic affairs, will collect suggestions from each department to ensure efficient and fair allocation of all reserved seats with no overlap.
Applications for this pathway will open in early March 2025 and close at the end of the month. Each department will complete its assessments by May, leaving plenty of time for screening and final selections.
