15 Free Resources To Keep Your Child Busy While School Is Out

Kristen Moon Contributor | Education

I write about the strategy leading to successful college admissions.

Every day, more schools and daycares are closing around the country, with no end in sight for many working parents. Some parents struggle to cope, as many juggle a full workday with watching their young children. As social distancing and self-isolation become the norm, it might become harder for families to find ways to keep their children entertained and learning independently, which is necessary to free up parents’ precious time to work from home. Here are our top 15 free resources to keep your young child busy while school is out.

Child working on homework

Child working on homework PHOTO BY ANNIE SPRATT ON UNSPLASH

Read-Aloud Stories

1. Storytime Anytime has a popular YouTube channel that features classics as well as the “How To Catch” books written by Adam Wallace. The videos also include “Pig the Pug” books, superhero books highlighting some favorites like the Incredibles, Lego DC Super Heroes, Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther.

2. Brightly Storytime is another great resource for read-aloud picture books and flip-along storytime books. Their YouTube channel is split into categories by age, making it easy to find the right book for your child.

Educational Resources

3. Education.com is offering its premium resources for free to help parents and teachers alike. You can get grade-specific bundles of resources, independent study packets and guided lessons. Education.com also has games that teach children skills like sight words, counting, coding, spelling and rhyming. It’s perfect for children in preschool through fifth grade.

4. GreatSchools has math, spelling, reading, counting and science worksheets available for free for children in PreK-fifth grade. You will need to have access to a printer in order to take advantage of all the free resources.

5. ABC Mouse is offering a free month trial of their services, which normally costs $9.95 a month. The site has a full online curriculum with more than 850 lessons across 10 levels that is perfect for children ages two to eight. As your child completes one lesson, they are automatically guided to the next one and can win tickets and rewards. Kids can learn reading, arts, colors, math and science in the more than 9000 activities provided for free.

6. Scholastic is offering the Scholastic Learn at Home Program to students who have been affected by COVID-19 school closures. The site has learning material for students in PreK-ninth grade. Each day, students get a few new tasks, such as reading a book or article, watching a video and completing a few activities.

7. CircleTime helps children have fun while learning. You can either participate in the classes with your child or have them follow the expert instructor by themselves. Some of the options include storytime yoga, interactive storytime, sing-along and playing with colors. If you want to cook or bake with your child, CircleTime has classes that walk you through a few simple recipes. For parents with babies, there are “Baby and Me” yoga classes available as well.

8.PBS For Kids lets you focus your children’s lessons on emotions and self-awareness, literacy, character, social skills, math, science and arts. It’s perfect for children aged two to eight.

STEM Educational Resources

9. ScratchJr is available as a free app to teach children ages five to seven how to code. As they solve programs and design projects, your child will be able to program games and interactive stories.

10. CoolMath4Kids helps make math learning fun through games that teach kids how to add, subtract, multiply, divide and use fractions. The site has lessons, quizzes, brain teasers and even printable flashcards to help students learn new math skills.

Free Coloring Sheets and Craft Ideas

11. All Kids Network has worksheets, color pages, hidden pictures, mazes, and dot to dot pictures available for free. Included on the site are more than 1000 craft ideas that you can do together with your child on the weekends or during a work break.

12. You Can Draw is perfect for kids who want to practice their artistic skills. Jarrett Lerner has blank comic book pages, “Finish This Comic!” comics and drawing/writing prompts to get your child’s brain moving creatively.

13. Crayola has every type of coloring page available for free downloads. You can find plants, animals, places, popular TV characters, words and letters, Disney characters and more. 

Take A Virtual Field Trip

14. The Nature Conservancy helps kids feel like they are out of the house with these virtual field trips. Your child can explore the coral reef in the Dominican Republic, a coastal temperate rainforest and the great forests of China.

15. San Diego Zoo has free live cams of their animals. Some of the animals your child can watch include polar bears, elephants, giraffes, apes (and their new baby!), koala bears, tigers, penguins and pandas.

The next upcoming weeks and months might be a challenge. But by using these 15 free resources, you can keep your child active and learning independently.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristenmoon/2020/03/26/15-free-resources-to-keep-your-child-busy-while-school-is-out/#275579bd6fd

Uncertainty over JEE (Main) exams leaves candidates worried

On rescheduling JEE, Shilpa Khanna, physics teacher in a private Chandigarh school, says, “JEE is a national level exam. While deciding its dates, NTA will have to check the availability of the operational structure in examination centres and the release of admit cards.

Srishti Jaswal | Hindustan Times, Mar 27, 2020

Students preparing for Joint Entrance Examinations (Main) for admission to engineering and architecture institutes are a worried lot after the exams were postponed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Though NTA had previously stated that new dates for the examination would be announced after March 31, the countrywide lockdown up to April 15 makes that doubtful.

“The academic schedule is set in such a manner that we have maximum opportunities to sit for entrance exams to various institutes. With JEE as well as the Central Board of Secondary Education exams postponed, we are worried that some doors will be closed for us,” says JEE candidate Vibhuti Vaidya.

On rescheduling JEE, Shilpa Khanna, physics teacher in a private Chandigarh school, says, “JEE is a national level exam. While deciding its dates, NTA will have to check the availability of the operational structure in examination centres and the release of admit cards. As many exams are already postponed due to this health emergency, NTA will also have to check that other examinations do not clash with JEE Mains and JEE Advanced.

JEE (Main), scheduled for April 5, 7, 9 and 11, was postponed on March 18.

“Till April 16, there is a lockdown which could continue till May. Even if JEE (Main) is conducted in the first week of May, I assume JEE (Advanced) and counselling process will be compressed. Usually there is a gap of one-and-a-half months between mains and advanced, but now it could be less,” said Pushkar Rai, centre head, Allen coaching institute.

“I feel that academic year will not be wasted, maybe they will shorten the semesters but we are hopeful that classes will begin on time,” Rai added.

“These are testing times for JEE aspirants as they were on the last lap of their preparation when the exam was postponed,” added Arvind Goyal, a city-based tutor.

Any last-minute delay and uncertainty about a competitive examination causes a lot of stress and anxiety for the aspirants who have been working hard for two years and are just waiting to get over with the exam, he added.

About the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical colleges, Goyal said, “The NEET-Undergraduate is scheduled for May 3. No official notification regarding postponement has been issued. If NEET is delayed by 10 to 15 days it will not have any impact on the session of medical colleges as the session anyway starts on 1st August and admissions continue till end August.”

“Due to the lockdown, we cannot conduct pen and paper mock tests which help students overcome the stress of the actual examination. The students have been given these tests at home. Online classes and tests attempted at home, however, can never compensate for classroom teaching and tests,” he added.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/uncertainty-over-jee-main-exams-leaves-candidates-worried/story-QZMrrfioH2xbnAPFlCcBsI.html

CBSE asks to make lockdown productive

Saturday, 28 March 2020 | Staff Reporter | Bhopal

As the 21-day lockdown has been announced, the educational boards are taking various steps to enrich educational methods. On Thursday, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked its teachers, students and parents to stay at home during the COVID-19 lockdown to spend their time in the best way by taking up different activities using technology to its best.

The letter issued by CBSE ‘Lockdown-An Opportunity for Education’ also asks students to involve in some learning activities. The letter says that this time is ‘productive’ and everyone can use it wisely.

The letter was issued in Hindi on CBSE official website, which is addressed by Secretary CBSE Anurag Tripathi.

In a letter titled released by the CBSE the board has stated that the Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD has directed to work from home and ensure that at the same time as responsible educationists the teachers need to be positively constructive. The board also added that the teachers must utilize the time to take up different activities and make the best possible use of technology.

Tripathi also urged students to utilize this time wisely. He gave many tips and ideas to the students of how they can enhance their learning. He encouraged children to involve in some educational activities like reading books, writing stories, writing plays and recording them, singing and painting too.

In a part of the letter, he boosted morale of the parents by advising them to spend most of the quality time with their kids at home.

They can talk and utilize this time to be the best one. Parents can play games and help them in small domestic chores.

Parents and students have been asked to make best use of this time by exploring digital educational content as well. 

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/state-editions/cbse-asks-to-make-lockdown-productive.html

CBSE says crisis ‘golden opportunity’ to learn something new

TNN | Mar 27, 2020, 04.14 AM IST

Nagpur: In a lengthy letter to all stakeholders, released only in Hindi for unknown reasons, CBSE has called the current crisis a golden opportunity for all as it offered ample time for teachers, parents and students to upgrade and re-focus on real purpose of education.

Board secretary Anurag Tripathi talked about education system in advanced countries and said the content in books and topics being taught at schools were the same, yet there was a difference. Tripathi said in India we focused on teaching while they focused on learning. Since learning outcome was what the education system of advanced countries gravitated towards, it reflected on the final product as well.

In the letter, part a moral booster and part a guideline on how to spend the time ahead, Tripathi wrote parents could think of utilizing the time to provide emotional support to children, playing with them and they learning new skills by participating in simple chores. Teachers, he said, could make the most of this break by upgrading themselves. He suggested making learning videos, preparing lesson plans and going over new pedagogies.

Even on a day-to-day basis, Tripathi shared some ideas on how one could make the most of the time available. He said first thing in the morning everyone should do was some exercises which include stretching of legs and hands, or Yoga. He then suggested children to help their family members in doing various chores. He encouraged children to help parents in kitchen too as it will ‘be an enjoyable experience’.

He encouraged children to engage in things for which they might not have found the time during a routine academic day like painting, singing, reading storybooks etc.

Tripathi urged the children to engage in role play and recreate scene of a courtroom, a press conference, a market and enact the part. He even suggested recording these scenes and improving upon them by reviewing them again and again.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Lockdown an opportunity to hone your skills: CBSE

TNN | Updated: Mar 27, 2020, 09:57 IST

NEW DELHI: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) secretary Anurag Tripathi, in a message to school students, has asked them to utilise the lockdown period to hone their skills and use this time as a "golden opportunity". The CBSE on Wednesday announced the extension of application deadline till April 30 for schools looking for affiliation with the board.

Tripathi wrote that lockdown has brought "golden inconvenience" to the children and teachers. "Everyone has unlimited time, a home-like laboratory and all the resources of the world available on the Internet. The entire house can be a learning center for children. E-classes, projects, activities, fun, games, video shoots, and many more such activities can be derived."

Suggesting students to start their day with light physical exercises, meditation and yoga, Tripathi also suggested that they help their family with household chores. He informed students that most CBSE schools in the country have started online classes.

Here's the letter by CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/photo/74840067.cms

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Self-quarantine during corona scare: Do not share cutlery, towels, rooms

Wed Mar 18 2020

Self-quarantine during corona scare: Do not share cutlery, towels, rooms

Roni Caryn Rabin/NYT

Stay home unless you must see a doctor. No work, school or shopping. If you must come out of your room, wear a mask. And don’t share towels. If you are among the thousands of those who are now self-quarantined because of possible infection with the coronavirus, these are a few of the new house rules, courtesy of health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Among people told to self-quarantine, isolate themselves or stay home are people returning from parts of China and Iran, those who developed symptoms after spending time in other countries with sustained community transmission, and those with no known exposure who are sick. But many individuals who don’t fit neatly into any of these categories and weren’t asked to stay home are choosing to seclude themselves anyway because they don’t want to put others at risk.

It may sound like a vacation from reality, an ideal time to binge on films and shows and catch up on sleep. In fact, it’s not easy to lock yourself away from family and friends. There are practical and logistical challenges and yawning gaps in the official advice that make it even harder. The terms of home isolation can be onerous and may last for two weeks, which is the presumed incubation period for the virus. It is especially challenging if you have young children or elderly relatives to care for, or live in cramped quarters with a lot of roommates.

HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS OF A PATIENT SHOULD WEAR MASK, GLOVES TO STAY SAFE

Family members and other occupants should monitor the patient’s symptoms and call a health provider if they see a turn for the worse. Housemates can go to work or school, but it’s going to be their job to stock up on groceries, pick up prescriptions, take care of the quarantined and keep the place clean. They’ll be wiping down doorknobs and countertops, doing loads of laundry and washing their hands.

When around the patient, household members must wear a face mask, and both mask and gloves if they have contact with the patient’s bodily fluids. These should be thrown away immediately, never reused. Elderly members of the household and those with chronic medical conditions are at particular risk if they are infected.

Other occupants of the home should wash their hands frequently and avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. They should stay in a room separate from that of the exposed or sick individual. If feasible, other members of the household should not share a bathroom with the secluded person. They should monitor their own health, too, and call a doctor if they develop a cough, fever or shortness of breath.

SELF-QUARANTINE IS HARD WHETHER YOU LIVE ALONE OR WITH FAMILY

No one pays you for self-quarantine. There is no reimbursement for products you may need. Self-quarantine is a hardship for both those who have families and those who live alone. Not everyone can work remotely. A two-week absence from work can take an enormous financial toll on hourly wage workers who have to clock in and show up to get paid or who are part of the gig economy with no single employer.

DISINFECT FREQUENTLY

·        q Don’t share cutlery, towels or bedding with anyone (including your pets).

·        q Countertops, doorknobs, bathrooms fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, and bedside tables are considered “high-touch surfaces”; wipe them often with a household cleanser.

·        q Frequently wipe down surfaces that may be contaminated by bodily fluids, including blood and stool.

ISOLATE YOURSELF FROM FAMILY, PETS

·        q If you are infected or have been exposed to the coronavirus, seclude yourself from your partner, housemates, children and elderly occupants of the house. You shouldn’t even pet your dog. And definitely no snuggling pets.

·        q A room should be designated for your exclusive use. You should use a separate bathroom, if you have one.

·        q No visitors and no staff, unless it’s absolutely essential. Don’t take the bus or subway, not even a taxi.

FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD TAKE SPECIAL CARE

·        q When around the patient, household members must use both mask and gloves if they have contact with the patient’s bodily fluids q They should stay in a room separate from that of the exposed or sick individual q If possible, family members should not share a bathroom with the secluded person

YOU CAN USE SANITISERS, BUT SOAP IS PREFERRED

·        q If you cough or sneeze, you should cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and discard the used tissue in a lined trash can.

·        q Then you must immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. You can use sanitiser, but soap and water are preferred.

·        q Even if you haven’t coughed or sneezed, you should wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth if you haven’t just washed them.

MASK IS A MUST

·        If you must be around other people — in your home, or in a car — you should wear a mask, and everyone else should, too. Since they are sold out almost everywhere, you should firstly get yourself masks

MONITOR YOURSELF

·        Keep an eye on your health and call a doctor if your symptoms are getting worse. Make sure to tell the medical st

 Source : https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/?olv-cache-ver=20200316060345

JEE Main April 2020 revised dates to be announced on March 31: Amit Khare

ANI | Mar 19, 2020, 10.03 AM IST

NEW DELHI: CBSE, NIOS, and University examinations are rescheduled and postponed till M arch 31 in view of coronavirus outbreak, Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development has said, adding that the new date for JEE Main exam will be announced on the same day after assessing the situation.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on Wednesday directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and all educational institutions in the country to postpone all exams including JEE Main till March 31 in view of coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking to on Wednesday, Khare said that the academic calendar and safety and security of the children, both are equally important.

"We have decided that all examinations - CBSE, NIOS, and University exams are rescheduled and postponed till March 31. Similarly, the evaluation work is also postponed this March 31 because there are certain competitive exams like JEE Main where students have to travel to different centres... New date for JEE Main exam will be announced on 31st March, after assessing the situation," Khare said.

"At the same time, the Ministry will take all steps and we have requested all the universities, schools to contact the children, keep them well informed of the developments so that not only they are safe, there is no anxiety amongst the students and their parents and the teachers. We have also requested all of them to make maximum use of online courses so that the learning is not lost," he added.

The Ministry has requested all teachers and educational institutes to maintain regular communication with students and resolve their queries. It has also appealed to parents, students, and teachers not to panic.

A total of 151 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in India so far, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday. Three people have so far died of the infection in the country.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. The virus had first emerged in China's Wuhan city in December last year.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Centre postpones ongoing exams, including Boards

TIMES NEWS NETWORK | New Delhi:

As further precautionary measures due to the Covid-19 breakout, the HRD ministry on Wednesday said that all ongoing exams, including board exams, are to be rescheduled.

Following HRD ministry’s directions, CBSE postponed all exams between March 19 and 31. A new schedule is likely to be announced on March 31. Most class X CBSE students in Mumbai have completed their exams on Wednesday. However, many class XII students, especially from commerce stream have papers lined up to March 30. A CBSE school principal said, “While a lot of vacation plans and preparation for entrance exams for the next month will be impacted, it is in the best interest of the children’s safety to cancel the exams.

The step will have a cascading effect as the NIOS exam has been postponed and JEE (Main) too is likely to be rescheduled. As per the directions issued by HRD secretary Amit Khare, university exams will also be postponed.

Consequently, college/ university admissions are likely to be delayed.The CBSE notification stated that ongoing evaluation process has been put on hold and will be rescheduled after March 31.

Full report on www.toi.in

Read more at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/74698356.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Class X exams held with sanitizers at hand

— Vinamrata Borwankar

Mumbai:

On Wednesday, amid Covid-19 worries, schools conducted SSC and CBSE Class X exams on campus. Authorities said utmost care was taken to ensure students and teachers were not at risk.

While the state cancelled all school and college exams till March 31, they allowed schools to continue with Class X and XII board exams.

Over 3.6 lakh SSC students appeared for Science II paper from Mumbai division, which includes Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad. “We had sent out instructions to all exam centres to allow the use of sanitizers and take as many precautions as necessary. In case students wanted to wear masks, they were allowed to do so. We also provided sanitizers during moderators’ meetings. For the next two exams, similar precautions would be taken,” said Sandeep Sangave, secretary of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education's Mumbai division. While HSC exams ended on Wednesday, SSC students have two more papers to appear for.

Class X CBSE students took social science paper. Madhu Singh, principal, Billabong High International School at Malad, said, “We are educating our invigilators to keep a vigil on the health of kids and identify students showing symptoms. Teachers were oriented about symptoms by a certified doctor. We kept only 12 kids in a room and the distance between each kid was a minimum of one metre.”

CISCE issued an advisory to teachers to evaluate board exam papers from home.

Source : https://epaper.timesgroup.com

CBSE board results to be declared on time

Mon Mar 16 2020

CBSE board results to be declared on time

Coronavirus outbreak and Delhi riots will not disrupt the evaluation process of answer sheets and announcement of results

c-Jagriti.Kumari@timesgroup.com

Despite rescheduling of board examination timetable due to violence in parts of Delhi, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is hoping to declare class X and XII results on time. CBSE is taking every step to be on time to avoid inconvenience to the students and hampering their chances of securing admission in undergraduate programmes.

“The board officials are working hard to conclude the exams on time. The evaluation process will begin soon after the examinations are over to ensure timely announcement of the results,” says Sanyam Bhardwaj, controller of examinations, CBSE.

“The board is coordinating with schools to arrange centres and avoid any clash with any other examinations,” Bhardwaj adds. He, however, refused to divulge other details related to the exams.

The exams in the affected areas of Delhi for class XII will begin on March 31 and conclude on April 14, while exams for class X will be conducted from March 21-30. The new schedule has been announced for the students in the violence-hit areas of northeast Delhi.

Since 1929, this is for the first time that the board has rescheduled the exams dates. “The board will have an exact number of students who appear in the extended schedule by March 16,” he adds.

Global outbreak of coronavirus has not changed the evaluation dates scheduled for the CBSE teachers. “There may be some changes in the CBSE schools in middle east that are temporarily closed. We do not have any confirmation on that,” adds Bharadwaj. More than 220 schools in 25 foreign countries – including 78 in the UAE are affiliated to CBSE. Despite the closure of schools in affected countries, the board has been able to conduct examinations scheduled until March 12.

Source : https://epaper.timesgroup.com

CBSE may seat only 12 students in an exam room

CBSE may seat only 12 students in an exam room

By: Abhishek.Choudhari@timesgroup.com 

Nagpur:

In its ongoing effort to keep board exam candidates safe from coronavirus, CBSE is preparing to rejig its exam room seating pattern in a major way.

Sources told TOI that the number of students in a room may be restricted to only 12 from the current cap of 24. This change is going to be put into effect for exams scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to the plan, a minimum distance of one metre has to be kept between two candidates. Only one invigilator will be appointed for one room of 12 candidates.

As per sources, the schools have already been informed to get plan going. The schools have been told to “treat this message as urgent” and start work of preparing seating arrangements in the hall. Though the message came late in the evening, schools were not complaining. A teacher said, “We understand that the coronavirus situation is fast developing. So, this sudden announcements are expected. Yes, it’s a logistical challenge but the shutdown announced by Maharashtra government will help us a lot because there won’t be any distraction for schools.”

Source : https://epaper.timesgroup.com

CBSE delivers googly to Class XII physics, accountancy students

CBSE said the board has a practice of sending ‘Observation Schedules’ to all school heads to share their feedback on the question papers.

Published: 07th March 2020

KOCHI: Across the country, examination fever has the entire student community in its grip, with students of Classes XII and X of nearly all the boards engaged in last-minute preparations for the crucial tests. But as has been the case throughout, this year too the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has given students a fright. The students found the Class XII physics and accountancy papers quite difficult.

“Only students, who are bright or extraordinary, might have been able to crack the exam. Though based on the syllabus, the questions were very difficult to comprehend, especially for a 17-year-old,” said Suchitra A C, physics teacher of Greets Public School.

She said the average and above-average students could have never been able to answer the questions during the three-hour paper in the tense atmosphere of an examination hall. “Of course, if the students were asked the same questions in a different scenario, they might have solved it,” she said.

If students found the physics paper tough, with nearly all the questions at application level, those who appeared for accountancy  laboured to complete the paper. “It was very lengthy,” said Priya Fazil, mother of a Class XII Commerce student. She said the short-answer questions took up the time usually given to  questions which carry five  or 10 marks . “Three hours were a very short time frame for an Accountancy paper,” she said.

Pointing out that the issue is the same across the nation, T P M Ibrahim Khan, president, Kerala CBSE Schools Management Association, said, “The association has sought a report from all the schools. Based on it, we will send a complaint to the board and ask them to make the valuation liberal.”

The Council of CBSE Schools Kerala too has taken up the issue with the board. Indira Rajan, secretary-general, National Council of CBSE Schools, said the council has already sent a letter to the board in this regard.

“We received a report on the question papers from schools following a thorough analysis by  teachers. Based on it, we have asked the board to take action in students’ interest,” she said.

CBSE said the board has a practice of sending ‘Observation Schedules’ to all school heads to share their feedback on the question papers. “The feedback is examined by subject experts for its merits before finalising the marking scheme. The board will take similar action in all such cases,” the  CBSE said in a release.

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com

JEE Advanced 2020: Girls to have 20% supernumerary seats reserved at IITs

JEE Advanced 2020: Last year, the reservation was at 17 per cent and 14 per cent in 2018. These seats are in addition to the available seats and a separate merit list will also be released for females.

By: Education Desk | New Delhi | Updated: March 9, 2020

JEE Advanced 2020: There’s good news for females aspiring to study at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Instead of the prevailing 20 per cent reservation for women, the IITs will now make seats supernumerary in nature. This implies that additional seats will be created without any effect on those available otherwise. A separate merit list will also be created for females to allow them to have the flexibility of choosing a better campus.

Last year, the reservation was at 17 per cent and 14 per cent in 2018. These additional reserved seats were the recommendation of a committee headed by Timothy A Gonsalves, Director, IIT Mandi. The committee addressed several issues including the fact that the rate of qualifying IITs is lesser in girls as compared to boys, females further tend to take a seat closer to home rather than an IIT in a far-flung area. A girl is yet to top the JEE Advanced or entrance test of IITs.

 Further, IITs have created 10 per cent supernumerary seats for students belonging to foreign nations. Additionally, over 1100 seats are reserved for foreign students across courses and campuses. Foreign nationals are not required to clear JEE Main. However, for Indian students, only top 2.5 rank holders from JEE Main are allowed to appear for JEE Advanced. Yet, the number of foreign students in IITs remain low. In 2018, only 51 foreign students registered for the exam and 36 students appeared for JEE Advanced.

Apart from these, there is 15 per cent reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 7.5 per cent for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates in every course. Persons with Disability (PwD) also get 5 per cent seats reserved at IITs.

Source :  www.indianexpress.com