States okay CET for engineering

Divided over adopting new system for state-owned technical institutions

State governments have supported the proposal of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry to hold a common entrance test (CET) for  Centrally-funded engineering colleges, but remained divided over adopting the new system from 2013 for technical institutions functioning under them.

At a meeting of state education ministers here on Tuesday, Kerala categorically refused to adopt the proposed common entrance test in the state while Puducherry and Tripura said they did not want to implement it now.

“We cannot adopt it (proposed common entrance test) because we have a different syllabus and different system,” Kerala Education Minister PK Abu Rabb later told Deccan Herald.

Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, however, said the proposal was open for all the states who wish to come on board. He requested the state education ministers to convey their decision on the year of joining in the common admission process by June 30 to enable preparations to be made accordingly.

The states would have the autonomy to determine their Class XII Board performance weightage in JEE-MAIN and JEE-ADVANCED, he added.

The proposed test, to be known as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), will have two sections, JEE Main and JEE Advanced, to be held on the same day. A substantial weightage will be given to class XII board marks in the test.

At the meeting, the ministry said that the examination papers would be made available in the regional language in addition to English and Hindi in the states adopting the combined entrance.

It also clarified that the Academic Body to be constituted for the JEE-MAIN test would have representation from the states “in an appropriate manner”.

A representative from Maharashtra stated that a consultation with various stakeholders had been organised by in the state, where the overwhelming opinion came in support of the common test.

Bihar Education Minister P K Shahi vehemently criticised IITs insistence on adopting the entrance examination system in its current format in 2015, wondering, “How could they dictate terms to the government which provides the funds?”

The new system faced strong opposition from the IIT teachers, who wanted the IIT-JEE to continue. As a kind of sop to these 15 premier technical institutes, the government has allowed them to adopt a two-tier selection procedure till 2014, with the JEE Advanced acting as a de facto IIT-JEE.
Under this two-tier selection procedure, the IITs will first assess candidates on the basis of the JEE Main and their class XII marks, giving equal weightage to both, and select about 50,000 students. However, their rank on the merit list would depend solely on their performance in the tougher JEE Advanced, which will be conducted by the IITs’ Joint Admission Board.
The other 40-odd Central technical institutes including NITs will follow a much simpler system wherein they will give 40 per cent weightage to students’ Class XII marks and 30 per cent each to JEE Main and Advanced to prepare their merit list.
The state ministers gave nod to a proposed Bill seeking setting up of 20 IITs in PPP mode. Bihar minister opposed the move saying that  instead of roping in private players, the government should accept State or Central PSUs as industry partners.
The meeting also approved a proposal to set up 200 community colleges in the country. The HRD minister said that these colleges could be started from exiting higher educational institutions, urging the states to identify such institutions and send a proposal to his ministry.
DH News Service