446 - IIT aspirants won’t have to answer subjective questions - TNN

IIT aspirants won’t have to answer subjective questions

Yogita Rao, TNN Aug 22, 2012, 02.09AM IST

 MUMBAI: Putting to rest all confusion over admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the joint admission board (JAB) of IITs clarified that the format of the joint entrance examination (JEE)-Advanced paper will be the same as that of IIT-JEE in the last few years.

The ministry for human resource development (MHRD) issued its first ever notification on JEE-2013 for admissions to all centrally-funded technical institutes on August 14.

 JEE-Advanced, which will determine admissions to IITs for 2013, will be held on June 2. The JEE-Advanced paper will only have multiple-choice questions which the students will attempt in two sessions, morning and afternoon. This will come as a relief for aspirants who had been preparing in keeping with the old format which did not include subjective questions. Several IITs, including the one in Mumbai, were in favour of a subjective JEE.

The difficulty level of and the marks allotted to JEE-Advanced tests will be similar to that of previous JEEs.

"We have decided that the format of the test should remain the same as it is too late to introduce changes. However, the notification is just for 2013. The MHRD has also formed an apex board in order to have a smooth JEE-Main and JEE-Advanced this year and in future too," said a senior official from IIT-Bombay. Ashok Misra, the former director of the institute, is the honorary chairperson of the JAB.

The official, who attended the JAB meeting, added, "Machine-readable answersheets will also be retained. The rule allowing candidates to take home a copy of their answersheets will also be followed. While the format and everything else will remain the same in 2013, it can change in future."

According to the notification, top 1.5 lakh candidates, including all categories, from the JEE-Main exam will be eligible to appear for the JEE-Advanced. Students who qualify in the JEE-Advanced exam and fall in the top 20 percentile of the successful candidates in their respective board results will be eligible for admission to IITs.

If states want to admit any students on the basis of JEE scores, a separate state merit list will be given to them. Questions papers can be printed in regional language on demand. 

436 - Latest news Dated 7th Aug 2012

IIT joint board clears common entrance format

Hindu Business Line - ‎Aug 6, 2012‎

New Delhi, Aug. 6: The Joint Admission Board of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) approved the common entrance test for under-graduate courses, previously approved by the IIT Council, on Sunday. Under the new format, from 2013, students would be ...

IIT JAB nod for common entrance test for UG programme for 2013

Business Standard - ‎Aug 5, 2012‎

The Joint Admission Board (JAB) of the IITs, comprising heads of these prestigious institutes, today approved the common entrance test for admission to the undergraduate programme for 2013 based on percentile ranking at a crucial meeting here. The JAB ...


IIT Admission: 20 percentile plan gets nod

Hindustan Times - ‎Aug 5, 2012‎

Despite some important suggestions by various IITs, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) of IITs that met on Sunday made no changes to its earlier resolution on the 20 percentile formula for 2013 eligibility. The resolution had been accepted by the IIT Council on ...


IT admission body sticks to only 20 percentile formula

Hindustan Times - ‎Aug 5, 2012‎

Despite some important suggestions by various IITs, the Joint Admission Board of IITs which met on Sunday is understood to have made no change to its earlier resolution on the 20 percentile formula for 2013 eligibility. The resolution had been accepted by ...

Anyone worried about what's wrong with our education?

Times of India - ‎Aug 4, 2012‎

Anyone worried about what's wrong with our education? TT Narendran Aug 5, 2012, 03.32AM IST. The debate on the IIT entrance examination refuses to die down. Some IITs claim that the standards will be diluted if the criteria are changed to consider school ...

A sustainable model for IITs

The Hindu - ‎Aug 4, 2012‎

The IITs can be given the freedom to determine their fees as do the IIMs, and the additional funds generated through higher fees can be used to build research infrastructure......To ensure that higher fees do not pose an undue burden on any student, a loan to ...

JAB opts for subjective type questions for Advanced test

Daily Pioneer - ‎Aug 6, 2012‎

Ending the uncertainty over the pattern of questions in the entrance examination for prestigious IITs, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) on Sunday decided for a Subjective Question type Advanced test. The shortlisted 1,50,000 candidates, who also come within ...

B-school Placement trends 2012

Indian Colleges - ‎Aug 3, 2012‎

B-school Placement trends 2012. Snapdeal.com is planning to hire IIT, IIM pass outs for its tech and engineering division ramps up hiring with IIT, IIM pass outs . Earlier this year, the e-tailer has hired 30 freshers from various IITs and IIMs across the country.

371 - Indian Institute of Technology directors mull solution - India Today

Indian Institute of Technology directors mull solution

New Delhi, June 24, 2012 

The joint admission board (JAB) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) met in New Delhi on Saturday to devise a compromise formula in the wake of two key institutes - IIT-Delhi and IIT-Kanpur - breaking ranks with the government on the one-country, one-test decision.

Sources said IIT directors debated if HRD minister Kapil Sibal's decision to hold a common joint entrance exam for all centrally funded technology institutes from 2013 could be adopted with some alterations.

The board has been conducting the IIT entrance test for 50 years.

A compromise formula suggested by the HRD ministry was discussed at the emergency meeting. It involves taking the top 20-30 students based on percentile ranking of respective boards for preparing the merit list. This criterion, which can replace the proposed format of giving weightage to board results, was deliberated as an alternative and received an unanimous favourable response.

The percentile criterion along with the performance in the JEE-Main could likely be used for selecting around 50,000 students; students' scores in the advanced test conducted by IITs will be taken into account to prepare the merit list for admission to the IITs.

Some of the IIT directors were reportedly not keen to discuss the proposed test at the JAB and insisted that the issue be deliberated only at the special IIT council meet.

The IITs will now debate this compromise formula during the IIT council meeting called by the HRD minister on June 27.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-institute-of-technology-directors-mull-solution/1/202149.html

365 - IIT directors discuss compromise formula

IIT directors discuss compromise formula Published: Saturday, Jun 23, 2012, 20:41 IST  Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI Ahead of next week's meeting called by the government on the single entrance exam row, Indian Institute of technology (IIT) directors on Saturday discussed a compromise formula which includes a proposal to take top 20-30 students based on percentile ranking of respective boards for preparing the merit list. Indications are that the percentile criterion replacing the proposed format of giving weightage to board results were deliberated at the Joint Admission Board (JAB) meeting, comprising IIT directors, as an alternative, possibly drawing a near unanimity. The proposal is believed to have been mooted by the HRD Ministry and floated among the directors to end the impasse. The percentile criterion along with performance in the JEE-Main will be used for selecting around 50,000 students and their score at the advanced test conducted by IITs will be taken into account to prepare the merit list for admission to IITs. IIT senates are expected to deliberate on this after its approval at the IIT council meet. The JAB has been conducting the IIT entrance test for 50 years. The meeting also evaluated the conduct of IIT-JEE 2012. Insiders also suggested that some directors were averse to discussing the proposed test at the JAB and insisted that issue be deliberated only at the special IIT council meet. The IIT council, the highest decision-making body headed by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal includes Directors of all the 16 IITs, heads of educational bodies like UGC and AICTE among others. On the other hand, the IIT faculty federation, in a statement, appreciated the council meeting called by Sibal and hoped for an amicable solution to emerge. "We appreciate that the minister has called IIT Council meeting on June 27, 2012 to address the concerns of IIT community. Through this process of discussion and engagement, we are confident that an amicable solution will emerge that would be acceptable to all, without compromising on the IITs autonomy." The JAB meeting today came in the backdrop of IIT Delhi and Kanpur rejecting the government proposal and deciding to have a separate exam. There are indications that IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur may follow their Delhi and Kanpur counterparts. The IIT Council on June 23 will discuss the situation created by the divisions among the elite educational institutions by the government proposal and the future course of action to end uncertainty among the student community.

356 - Joint admission board of IITs to meet tomorrow The writer has posted comments on this articleTNN | Jun 22, 2012, 01.48AM IST

Joint admission board of IITs to meet tomorrowThe writer has posted comments on this articleTNN | Jun 22, 2012, 01.48AM IST

KANPUR: The IIT Council, on the instructions of HRD ministry, had convened a meeting of joint admission board (JAB) to discuss the future course of the advanced joint entrance exam ( AJEE) to be conducted in 2013. The meeting would be attended by the directors of all the IITs scheduled to be held in Delhi on June 23. IIT-Kanpur director S G Dhande would attend the meeting.

This development has taken place at a time when the IIT-Kanpur has decided to conduct its own entrance examination and not to participate in the common engineering test or the advanced JEE. The HRD ministry is keen on implementing the CET from 2013. But with objections raised by the IITs, it is ready to make some changes. During the meeting, the preparations regarding the CET would be discussed. The anger of the faculty members of the IIT-Kanpur had surfaced. The faculty members are annoyed that the JAB meeting has been called to discuss about the preparations about the advanced JEE. The teachers would meet Dhande on Thursday and ask him to put forth the institute's decision of conducting its own entrance examination.

"We would also be asking Dhande to keep IIT-K's view that it is too early to implement CET from 2013. Therefore, the HRD and the IIT Council should not bring about a change in the entrance examination before 2014," said a members of the faculty forum. The institute is in contact with other IITs on the issue and it is expected that IIT-Delhi, Bombay, Kharagpur and Roorkee would be following IITKanpur in not participating in CET.

352 - Joint admission board of IITs to meet tomorrow TNN

Joint admission board of IITs to meet tomorrow

TNN | Jun 22, 2012, 01.48AM IST

KANPUR: The IIT Council, on the instructions of HRD ministry, had convened a meeting of joint admission board (JAB) to discuss the future course of the advanced joint entrance exam ( AJEE) to be conducted in 2013. The meeting would be attended by the directors of all the IITs scheduled to be held in Delhi on June 23. IIT-Kanpur director S G Dhande would attend the meeting.

This development has taken place at a time when the IIT-Kanpur has decided to conduct its own entrance examination and not to participate in the common engineering test or the advanced JEE. The HRD ministry is keen on implementing the CET from 2013. But with objections raised by the IITs, it is ready to make some changes. During the meeting, the preparations regarding the CET would be discussed. The anger of the faculty members of the IIT-Kanpur had surfaced. The faculty members are annoyed that the JAB meeting has been called to discuss about the preparations about the advanced JEE. The teachers would meet Dhande on Thursday and ask him to put forth the institute's decision of conducting its own entrance examination.

"We would also be asking Dhande to keep IIT-K's view that it is too early to implement CET from 2013. Therefore, the HRD and the IIT Council should not bring about a change in the entrance examination before 2014," said a members of the faculty forum. The institute is in contact with other IITs on the issue and it is expected that IIT-Delhi, Bombay, Kharagpur and Roorkee would be following IITKanpur in not participating in CET.

332 - Common entrance test: HRD ministry to write to joint admission IIT boards - TOI

Common entrance test: HRD ministry to write to joint admission IIT boards

PTI | Jun 20, 2012, 09.39AM IST

NEW DELHI: Unfazed by the resistance from the IIT faculty as well as the alumni, government would soon write to the joint admission board of the IITs to prepare the modalities for conducting the proposed common entrance test for admission to engineering programmes under the new format. 

Sources said HRD ministry would be asking the joint admission boards to finalise modalities of the advance exam, one of the component of the two-tier test which would be implemented from 2013 onwards. 

The development comes as Council of Boards of School Education is also expected to meet later this month to discuss issues related to coordination among different boards on matters such as holding the plus-two board examinations on time and time-bound declaration of results. 

The new system of entrance test would take the board results into consideration for preparing the merit list. 

IIT faculty and the alumni have been opposing the move tooth and nail, demanding that the new system should not be implemented before 2014. 

They contend that the proposed common entrance test would undermine the autonomy enjoyed by the IITs and dilute the IIT brand. 

Indications are that IIT Delhi senate, which is expected to meet on June 21, would also follow on the lines of IIT Kanpur. The latter has decided to hold its own entrance test following its rejection of the new system. 

The faculty federation has already met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh voicing their opposition to the test, stating that they have been assured by him that autonomy of IITs will be maintained.

331 - Government to roll out new look Joint Entrance Examination by 2013 - ECONOMIC TIMES

20 JUN, 2012, 06.17AM IST, URMI GOSWAMI,ET BUREAU 

Government to roll out new look Joint Entrance Examination by 2013

NEW DELHI: Protests by the IIT faculty, and at least one IIT Senate, against the new common entrance examination system notwithstanding, the government is going ahead with preparations to roll out the new look Joint Entrance Examination by 2013. 

The human resource development ministry is writing to the Joint Admission Board, which is currently headed by IIT Delhi, to begin the consultation process to decide on the "nature, modalities, and timing" of the JEE-Advanced examination. 

The JEE-Advanced is the second part of the two-step common admission test that was agreed to by the IIT Council at the May 28 meeting. Performance in the JEE-Advanced test will be the only criteria, which will be considered for admission to the IITs. As agreed by the IIT Council, performance in the class XII Board examination and JEE-Main will be used like a screening process to shortlist candidates. 

The ministry is asking the Joint Admission Board to work out whether they want the test to be an objective or subjective test, the level of control the IIT system wants to retain over administering the test and the level of administrative support required from the CBSE. The Board will also decide on the timing of the test, whether it should be on the same day as the JEE-Main or not. The IITs would like the two exams -JEE Main and Advanced-to be held on separate days. 

As far as the ministry is concerned the May 28 decision of joint meeting of the IIT, NIT and IIIT Councils is final, and asking the Board to being work on the examination is the logical next step. The groups to deal with academic issues, and interface have already been set up. Sources said that there hasn't been any communication from the Prime Minister's Office on the new system. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured the IIT Faculty Federation that he would speak with the human resource development minister Kapil Sibal about the objections and concerns raised by them.

329 - HRD to tell board to begin work on new JEE format - INDIAN EXPRESS

HRD to tell board to begin work on new JEE format

Anubhuti Vishnoi : New Delhi, Wed Jun 20 2012, 00:34 hrs

Unfazed by the opposition mounting against the new JEE format in the IIT community, the Human Resource Development Ministry has begun moving to take the proposed common entrance exam forward.

Kapil Sibal’s ministry will write to the IIT Joint Admission Board (JAB) to prepare for the JEE Advanced Test and start working out the finer points related to it, highly placed sources told The Indian Express. JEE Advanced is the exam under the proposed new common entrance format that will determine the final merit list for IIT admissions.

Since IIT Delhi is currently handling the JAB position, the ministry will send a communication, asking them to define the “nature, modalities and timing” of the exam. The ministry is of the opinion that it must be left to the IITs to decide whether they want a subjective/objective JEE Advanced, the nature of questions to be put, when and how often the exam should be conducted, whether or not they would like collaboration with CBSE for administrative assistance or even whether they would like to engage a testing agency to conduct the exam.

The ministry has already set up groups/committees to handle academic, administrative and test delivery aspects among other areas related to holding the common entrance exam.

Sibal, who chairs the IIT Council, had announced on May 28 that starting 2013, a new common entrance exam format for admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded technical institutes would come into effect. According to this format, Class XII board marks will be factored in for determining eligibility of a student aspiring for admission to an IIT.

The new JEE will have two components — JEE Main (for screening) and JEE Advanced (for the final IIT merit list) — with 50 per cent weightage to Class XII scores at the screening stage.

The proposal is being opposed by the IIT Senates and alumni. IIT Kanpur Senate has gone as far as to pass a resolution saying that they would boycott the 2013 common entrance exam and instead hold their own JEE.

Members of the All India IIT Faculty Federation also met the Prime Minister last week on the issue and were assured that the autonomy of IITs would not be compromised. The federation raised three specific demands as well — that no change should be effected in JEE 2013 and the present system should continue, that Senates of IITs be allowed to take decision on admission in IITs to ensure the academic autonomy of the IITs and consideration of board marks from 2014 to be worked out over a period of time after analysing the board data and results from the dry run.

328 - Govt may soften stand, asks IIT-D to call meeting - Hindustan Times

Govt may soften stand, asks IIT-D to call meeting

Vanita Srivastava, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, June 20, 2012

In what can be described as a ‘softening’ of stance, the government has asked the IIT-Delhi director to convene a meeting of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) to deliberate on the modalities and format of the JEE (advanced) exam.

Besides this, there were indications that the JEE (advanced) test could be held on a separate day, and adopt a subjective format — in accordance with the demands of the IITs. It was also speculated that only IITs would be granted the responsibility of conducting the JEE (advanced) test, meant for the top 50,000 students screened from the JEE (main) examination.

According to sources, the manner in which the board marks would be used to decide on merit may also be ‘reconsidered’. Board marks, on the other hand, could be used just as a “filtering” measure — as is the current norm.

The speculations, however, can be confirmed only after the JAB meeting later this month. If this happens, the government would have fulfilled most of the major demands of the IITs.

The premier institutions had been demanding that board marks should not be included in the selection process, and the JEE (advanced) test should be subjective — to be conducted by the IITs themselves.

IIT-Delhi will conduct a senate meeting — with the JEE issue figuring in its list of agendas — on June 21. “The senate meeting will discuss issues related to undergraduate admission to IIT on June 21,” confirmed Dr Sanjeev Sanghi, president of the IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum.

A special senate meeting of IIT-Kanpur was convened for the purpose on May 8, during which it passed a resolution to conduct a separate exam in 2013.

IIT-Delhi Alumni Association president Somnath Bharti maintained that the general feeling among the IIT senates was that the exam should not be held in 2013. “They also hold that the IITs  should have complete control (not only academic) over the JEE (advanced) exam, and there should be proper debate — based upon data obtained from school boards — on the feasibility of giving weightage to school board marks in the JEE (mains),” he said.

Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal is keen on introducing the new examination pattern from next year.