IIT faculty federation to meet Prime Minister; seek roll back of common entrance test
Reported by Um-e-Kulsoom
| Updated: June 15, 2012 02:30 IST
New Delhi: The row over the new entrance format for all centrally
funded engineering colleges proposed by Human Rights and Development
(HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal, now reaches the Prime Minister's office.
Members from the All India Faculty Federation of the IITs, which had written to Manmohan Singh earlier this month, and met officials of his office today, will be meeting him on Friday to express their dissent and ask for intervention.
The federation is opposing Mr Sibal's proposal that a common entrance examination be held from 2013 for admission to the centrally funded engineering institutes. These include the 15 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and all the National Institutes of Technology (NITs). As per this proposal equal weightage will be given to marks obtained in the Class XII examinations and those of the entrance tests. Mr Sibal had said that the common entrance exam for engineering colleges was aimed at reducing the pressure on students who finish Class 12 and then have to take multiple exams for different engineering colleges.
Members from the All India Faculty Federation of the IITs, which had written to Manmohan Singh earlier this month, and met officials of his office today, will be meeting him on Friday to express their dissent and ask for intervention.
The federation is opposing Mr Sibal's proposal that a common entrance examination be held from 2013 for admission to the centrally funded engineering institutes. These include the 15 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and all the National Institutes of Technology (NITs). As per this proposal equal weightage will be given to marks obtained in the Class XII examinations and those of the entrance tests. Mr Sibal had said that the common entrance exam for engineering colleges was aimed at reducing the pressure on students who finish Class 12 and then have to take multiple exams for different engineering colleges.
The federation which had termed the decision of the one nation, one test
as a unilateral decision of the HRD ministry, will request the Prime
Minister to restore the autonomy of the IITs and allow them to conduct
their own tests. They will also demand that IITs be allowed to decide
whether to accept, change or reject the new proposal by the HRD
ministry. The federation is also of the view that any sweeping changes
in the admission process should be given time and the new format should
be brought in only after 2014.
The group will also suggest a one nation, one board instead, so that class 12 students from across India can be evaluated by a common board.
Mr Sibal's proposals which are set to be applicable from next year, also says that all aspirants will have to appear for a main test and an advanced test. In what appears to be a complete rollback, the federation is demanding that advance test should be a 'Subjective Type' test as opposed to the proposal by the ministry which calls for a multiple type test.
The meeting with the Prime Minister is significant as various bodies of the IITs have opposed these new proposals. IIT Kanpur has already announced that it will conduct its own entrance test from next year. The IIT Delhi senate, which is due to meet on June 21, is likely to follow suit.
Mr Sibal on his part has said the decision comes after two years of deliberations with the IITs and is a unanimous one. The minister, who is currently in the US has said he is willing to talk with dissenting bodies on the issue.
The group will also suggest a one nation, one board instead, so that class 12 students from across India can be evaluated by a common board.
Mr Sibal's proposals which are set to be applicable from next year, also says that all aspirants will have to appear for a main test and an advanced test. In what appears to be a complete rollback, the federation is demanding that advance test should be a 'Subjective Type' test as opposed to the proposal by the ministry which calls for a multiple type test.
The meeting with the Prime Minister is significant as various bodies of the IITs have opposed these new proposals. IIT Kanpur has already announced that it will conduct its own entrance test from next year. The IIT Delhi senate, which is due to meet on June 21, is likely to follow suit.
Mr Sibal on his part has said the decision comes after two years of deliberations with the IITs and is a unanimous one. The minister, who is currently in the US has said he is willing to talk with dissenting bodies on the issue.
