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New Delhi: The
compromise between the human resource development ministry and IIT
Council over the entrance exam pattern for admission to the
engineering institutes Wednesday garnered mixed reactions from the
IIT alumni.
"Most of the concerns have been addressed which is a good thing,
and I think the IITs will be able to maintain their autonomy," IIT
Faculty Federation secretary Atul Mittal told IANS.
"This is a step in the positive direction," he added.
At a meeting of ministry officials and IIT Council here Wednesday,
it was agreed to have a new two-stage entrance test formula
proposed by the IITs following opposition from some of the premier
institutes to the single entrance examination mooted by HRD
Minister Kapil Sibal. The meeting was attended by directors of all
IITs.
As per the new formula, there will be a "main" test for the top 20
percent scorers of all boards, and then a final "advanced" exam,
under the IITs supervision, for the top 150,000. The new format
will come into effect from 2013, if accepted by the ministry.
IIT-Delhi Alumni Association president Somnath Bharti said that
the senate "was glad" with their wish to have complete academic as
well as administrative control over the "advanced" exam being
accepted.
"But our wish that no change should be forced upon IIT system
until 2014 has not been addressed. Also restricting the
eligibility to JEE (Main) to top 20 percentile of school boards,
we perceive, is pro-rich and will be detrimental to the interests
of students from rural India," he said.
"The alumni have mixed reactions on this decision," he added.
According to Bharti, a formal meeting has been scheduled here
Thursday to decide the future course of action to address the
developments.
'Against Poor'
The IIT Council's move to give 20
percent weightage to Class 12 board marks is a hasty decision,
Anand Kumar, founder of 'Super 30', which provides free coaching
to Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) aspirants, said
Wednesday.
"This decision will go against poor students, who do not get the
opportunity to study in elite schools," he said here.
"Even Class 12 results are mired in controversy due to use of
unfair means in examinations and manipulation to ensure good
results," said Kumar, who coaches students from poor families to
crack the IIT entrance test.
He said the decision had come as a dampener for students preparing
for IIT-JEE.
"Suddenly they realise that school results are also important. The
IIT Council should have implemented it from 2014 at least to give
the students time," he said.
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