JOIN USA day after changes proposed in the format of common entrance exam (CET), which is to be implemented in all Central University engineering colleges, got a mixed response, the alumni association of IIT-Delhi along with some faculty members rejected the changes at a meeting held on Thursday.
These changes were proposed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) staff council members and Union ministry of human resource development (MHRD).
“Twenty per cent criteria for school boards and implementation of the new proposal from 2013 stands rejected because such patchwork solutions taken in haste to meet the MHRD deadlines set for 2013, are contrary to the objectives of ministry.
They are also prejudicial to the interests of present class 12 students and also for students in rural India where school education is in shambles,” said Somnath Bharti, president IIT-D Alumni Association.
Previously, union HRD minister Kapil Sibal proposed a minimum of 40 per cent marks in class 12 board exams and the rest of the marks to be calculated through the common entrance test as the criterion for engineering.
On Wednesday, it was decided that students who score in the top 20 percentile in their board exams will take the main or multiple-choice exam. The format is said to be implemented from 2013.
The association has also been asking that no changes should be forced upon IIT-Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) system until 2014.
On May 28, the decision was taken to have a common entrance exam for IITs and other centrally funded institutions.
Since no changes were made to the decision at IIT council meeting held on June 26, the association members will now wait for the the National Institutes of Technology (NIT) council’s meeting on July 4 to see what it has to say on the matter.
The association members also said they will wait for the decision of the IIT senates as unless they approve IIT council’s decision, it does not attain finality.
“We will do a follow up with the senates on the question of 20 percentile and implementation of changes from 2013. We want status quo till 2013 and in the meantime we expect deliberations to meet the diverse objectives of the MHRD, IITs and other stakeholders,” said Bharti.