Govt must stop twisting facts over IIT admissions: PMK president Anbumani

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday accused the State government of misleading the public by claiming that 28 students from government schools had secured admission to IIT-Madras.

He said the students were enrolled in courses that did not require them to clear the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Advanced).

In a statement, Anbumani said reports of 28 government school students joining IIT-Madras initially came as a pleasant surprise but were “twisted versions” released by the DMK government.

“To join IITs, students must clear JEE Main and JEE Advanced. BTech seats are allotted only to those who secure high scores in JEE Advanced. Of the 28 students mentioned by the government, none have joined the BTech programme. Only four students cleared JEE Main and qualified for JEE Advanced. The remaining 24 did not even qualify,” he said.

According to him, of the 28 students, 25 had enrolled in the BS Data Science programme and three in the BS Electronic Systems programme. Both courses are offered online, with lessons delivered through recorded videos and without teaching faculty, he claimed. While students who cleared JEE Main could gain admission directly, others had to write separate entrance tests conducted by the IIT. In some cases, even a class 12 qualification was not mandatory, he added.

“The government should stop spreading false information about government school students joining IIT,” Anbumani said.