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NEW DELHI: A middle ground that can end the stand-off between IITs and the government over changes in the entrance format to the top tech schools could be at hand with 50% weightage to class XII board exam scores being replaced by an eligibility cutoff at the top 20% or 30% percentile of board results.

The percentile criterion for appearing for the entrance test along with performance in the JEE-Main will be used tor select around 50,000 students. Thereafter their scores in the Advanced Test will be taken into account to prepare a merit list for admission to IITs.

The proposal was discussed at a Joint Admission Board (JAB) meeting on Saturday. The Board includes all IIT directors and JEE chairmen, and is seen as a precursor to the IIT Council meeting on June 27. The much-criticized decision for a Common Entrance Test (CET) for all central engineering colleges was taken by the Council.

If accepted and endorsed by the IIT Council, the new proposal will bring to an end the month-long controversy over the CET for central engineering institutions and ensure students need to sit for only one test. The IITs’ complaint that their autonomy was being eroded would also be addressed.

The specially convened Council meeting will take place after the Senates of Kanpur and Delhi IITs declared that they will hold their own test, rejecting the CET decision as academically unsound. There are strong reasons to believe Senates of IIT-Bombay and IIT-Kharagpur are likely to follow suit.

The new alternative, discussed by IIT directors, met with near unanimity since it addresses the IIT Council and the HRD ministry’s concerns about giving primacy to the school system. Sources said that the new formula has been informally discussed by various Senates who appear to be on board.

The HRD minister-led IIT Council had announced on May 28 that the entrance for IIT will be based on a new format replacing the 60% cutoff for school marks, with a 50:50 weightage for the class XII score and JEE Main. The merit list for IIT was to be based on the test. The formula for centrally funded engineering institutions, including NITs and IIITs, was 40% weightage to class XII score and 30% weightage each for JEE Main and Advanced.

Significantly, the JAB deliberations come at the back of HRD minister Kapil Sibal’s statement that he was willing to look at any solution that the IITs come up with. Sibal has, however, reiterated that the new test will be implemented from 2013.

Two tests in one day

Among the other changes that were discussed was holding the Main and Advanced Tests on separate days to address the apprehension raised from some quarters that it would lead to undue pressure to hold both exams on the same day.

The IIT Council — the highest decision-making body that includes directors of all the 16 IITs, heads of educational bodies like UGC and AICTE and board of governors — will have to approve the decision.

Sources said that the IIT Council would also deliberate on whether it has the powers to take decisions regarding academic matters. The Council’s decision and consequently its powers have been challenged by IIT-Kanpur and Delhi Senates over the last few weeks.

The otherwise belligerent All India IIT faculty Federation too appeared to have softened its tone expressing its desire to reach an amicable solution. In a statement, the Federation said, ``We appreciate that the minister has called IIT Council meeting on 27 June, 2012 to address the concerns of IIT community. Through this process of discussion and engagement, we are confident that an amicable solution will emerge that would be acceptable to all, without compromising on the IITs autonomy."