HRD Ministry Unmoved By Protests, Rules Out Major Changes In Format

The Clamour against the change in IIT admission rules is only getting louder but the ministry of human resource development refuses to budge from its stand. The ministry is willing to concede some ground only in so far as it could allow the students to take a third shot at the entrance test. That suggestion could come up at a meeting of the advisory board of the IITs in Kolkata on Saturday. The meeting has been called primarily to discuss changes in the JEE format. Some of the proposed changes are likely to be applicable in next years IIT-JEE whereas the new format will be adopted in 2007. The decision has been taken after much deliberation and we are not suggesting any changes except giving a chance to students who have already appeared twice in JEE, secretary (education) Sudip Banerjee said. Protests by students have, meanwhile, erupted across the country with demonstrations in Delhi, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna and Kota. The ministry on Monday had decided that only students with 60 per cent marks or above in Class XII would be eligible for admission to the IITs. The screening test was also scrapped. IITians have also been barred from writing the JEE again and has restricted the number of attempts to two. The ministry has got a shot in the arm for its proposal, with the Central Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) ratifying the new JEE format. We feel the decision will help strengthen the Class XII examination system. This will give more focus to the students at senior secondary level. Right now, it is not the best talent but the best-coached students who crack the JEE. It is resolved that this policy be implemented by the IITs in order to strengthen the students at class XII level, said, general secretary of COBSE, D V Sharma. Banerjee, too, argued that the changes are for the better. The question paper will be simpler and will be of Class XII level, he said. The new format could lessen the influence of coaching centres, he added. School education will once again become relevant for JEE. To crack the tests, students concentrate on a definite line at the coaching centres. Therefore, we are getting single-discipline students though the need is for multi-discipline engineers, he said. The ministry believes that the new format of allowing only two chances and not allowing an IITian to appear for JEE will also reduce the average age of students (27) in the IITs. This will help in pushing more IITians towards higher studies. Over 90 per cent of students opting for Masters in Technology are from other engineering colleges, Banerjee added. Students, however, said they have been stranded. We are not against the ministrys decision. But we want the government to implement it in 2007. We are already mid-session and there is no turning back, said Bikesh Kumar, a student protesting outside IIT, Delhi. If they do not consider our demand, we will file a PIL next week. Meanwhile, the BJP and the Communist Party of India have opposed the changes in the JEE. BJPs Pramod Mahajan has asked for a three-year cushion period to introduce the new-look JEE whereas the CPI wants the eligibility criteria of 60 per cent to go.

Notification