Govt thinking of single exam for engg courses too: AICTE

'But that won't happen for next 2 years; all states must have a standard syllabus'

The Union government is considering holding a single entrance exam for admission to undergraduate engineering courses too, but that will not happen for the next two academic years, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe said here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of Bangalore University’s 51st convocation on Tuesday, he said, “We are thinking on these lines. However, a lot of preparation needs to be done for that. It will not happen soon. Not even in the next academic year (2017-18).”

While many states consider JEE Mains results to admit students to their engineering courses, Sahasrabudhe stressed the need for a standard syllabus in all states before a single entrance test could be held across the country. The AICTE chairman also spoke about the council’s start-up policy to encourage budding entrepreneurs. The policy aims to nurture start-ups at the college level and would be implemented this academic year. “We talk about Skill India and Make in India initiatives. That would be possible only when we promote start-ups. We will only give a framework and it will be up to colleges and universities to take the initiative,” he said.

Sahasrabudhe hoped that new start-ups would create a large number of jobs at a smaller level. “Large industries are not creating a large number of jobs. It’s start-ups that are creating the opportunities,” he said.

He also highlighted the government’s plan to push Indian universities to be among the top 100 in the world. A primary step towards this goal, he said, was faculty and student exchange programmes. Under the government’s Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN), 500 colleges/universities are encouraged to invite foreign faculty to conduct state-of-the-art courses. “This year, we have crossed 600. Institutes like the IISc have invited foreign faculty under the programme which is government-funded,” he said.

On some companies delaying recruiting students even two years after giving them offer letters, the AICTE chairman emphasised the need to ensure students met the standards to get recruited. “There is a need to regularly update the syllabus,” he said.