No JEE Main Required? AICTE Permits ‘Gifted Students’ Admission Without Exams

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has announced the eligibility criteria for supernumerary seats reserved for ‘gifted students’. These students can secure admission into approved institutions without sitting for an entrance exam like JEE Main. As per the eligibility criteria, students from reserved categories must have 40 per cent marks in the Class 12 science stream. At the same time, those from unreserved categories require at least 45 per cent marks.

The AICTE scheme nominates and encourages “gifted students” to apply for the supernumerary seat in AICTE-affiliated institutions. According to the official notice, a gifted student needs to provide at least 3 letters of recommendation, which clearly state that the student is a gifted child. Shortlisted candidates also have to appear for a personal interview with a panel of experts.

AICTE: Who is a Gifted Student?

The AICTE document clearly specifies details on who can qualify as a gifted child. It focuses on considering students from all backgrounds who have “advanced cognitive abilities”. The scheme mainly targets students who remain unidentified as “high achievers” due to low participation and poor grades in schools.

Moreover, the scheme aims to help students who demonstrate intense curiosity, creative imagination, and a questioning attitude. However, these students remain unidentified in a society that emphasises exam scores over talent. Check out the differences between a “bright child” and a “gifted child”, as given in the AICTE document:

Eligibility Criteria for Supernumerary Seats

AICTE considers a student as a ‘gifted student’ if they meet at least one of the following prerequisites:

• A student must be a prize winner in at least one national or international-level competition conducted by the government or renowned non-governmental institutions.
• Any candidate who has received funding from government institutions for pursuing innovative projects with state-level agencies like NCERT, CSIR, etc.
• Students who have received funding from global companies or non-profit organisations to work on innovative projects.
• Any student whose “high-quality” research article has been published in peer-reviewed journals. The student must be the first author of the article.
• Any candidate who owns a start-up or holds a patent granted by international or Indian patent authorities.

Admission Process

AICTE will release a list of institutions that are eligible to admit students under this scheme. These institutions are selected on the basis of factors like accreditation scores, rankings, intake capacity, past performance, etc. The admission committee of the respective institutes (with approved supernumerary quota) will evaluate the candidate applications.

AICTE experts will make the final selection based on their assessment of the candidates’ credentials. In addition, students receive a complete tuition fee waiver under this scheme. However, they still need to pay fees for other facilities, including the hostel, library, examinations, laboratory, and other activities.