CoA revises eligibility norms for admission to BArch courses in India

The Council of Architecture with approval of the Central Government has made amendments in the eligibility criteria for admission to the Bachelors of Architecture courses in the country. As per the amended regulations, the eligibility norms for BArch courses will now include Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as mandatory subjects in class XII for admissions to the 1^stst year of the 5 year BArch program.

An official notification on the same has also been released by the Council of Architecture on September 20. The notification aims to inform National Testing Agency (NTA) about the new amendments made in the eligibility norms for admissions to BArch and BPlan courses.

Further adding to the eligibility norm, the notification states that candidates will not be enrolled to the architecture program unless they have completed their 10+2 examination with 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and also 50% marks in aggregate of the 10+2 level examination. Only those candidates who comply with the revised eligibility criteria can seek admission to the BPlan & BArch course from the academic year 2019-2020.

The official notification reads, “The Council of Architecture has been receiving queries from students, institutions and general public regarding eligibility criteria to be followed by at institutions all over the country, for admission into 1st year of 5-year BArch degree course for the academic session 2018-2019. It is hereby informed to all concerned that as per the Council of Architecture Minimum Standards of Architectural Education, 1983, no candidate, with less than 50% marks in aggregate, shall be admitted to the architecture course unless he/ she has passed an examination at the end of the new 10+2 scheme of Senior School Certificate Examination or equivalent with Mathematics as subjects of examination at the 10+2 level.”

In addition to the above norm, candidates who have passed 10+3 Diploma with Mathematics, duly recognised by Central/State Governments as equivalent to 10+2 level, with minimum 50% aggregate marks are also eligible to seek admission into the BArch course for academic year 2018-2019. The institutions will follow the reservation policy of respective Government in granting relaxation in percentage of marks obtained in the qualifying examination for admission purposes.

The above eligibility shall be applicable for the academic session 2018-2019 only. It is also stated that admission to 1st year of 5-year BArch course will be made by the institutions only if candidates get through any of the national level aptitude tests in Architecture.

According to the Public Notice released by NTA on September 25, the amendment was earlier mentioned in the Official Gazette released on July 6, 2017 but will be functional from the academic year 2019-2020. Following which, NTA; the conducting body of JEE Main has revised the JEE Main Paper 2 eligibility norms for BArch courses.