After the IITs, the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) have approached the government, requesting a year’s extension to the 2021 deadline to add new seats for accommodating the 10 per cent quota for students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). NIT-Allahabad director Rajeev Tripathi, also head of the Central Seat Allocation Board this year, is learnt to have written to the HRD Ministry this week after consulting his counterparts in other NITs. The Board is responsible for conducting admissions to the 31 NITs. Read | QS rank: Indian schools slip, including 10 of Eminence The request for an extension has been made citing the challenge of ensuring distancing in hostels and delay caused by the lockdown in the construction of new hostels. As first reported by The Indian Express on June 3, the IITs were the first among centrally-run technical institutions to seek more time for implementing the EWS quota. All centrally funded educational institutions, including IITs, NITs, IIMs, central universities, IISERs, and IIITs, have to increase overall student strength by 25 per cent, over two years, to accommodate the quota — and ensure that existing number of seats for SC, ST, OBC and general category students do not face cuts. NITs have to collectively add 7,256 seats over two years to accommodate the quota. Among the 31 NITs, a few implemented the quota in undergraduate courses last year. The request for extension is for institutions that are to implement it this year, said a source.
