IITs take on Kapil Sibal over common entrance exam: 10 big facts

Mr Sibal on Monday said a "unanimous decision" had been taken to introduce a common entrance exam for all engineering colleges that receive funding from the central government. Mr Sibal said the governing bodies of IIT, the National Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IITS) had been consulted.

The faculty for IIT, other administrative bodies involved with its curriculum and its powerful Alumni Association disagree with the decision of the minister. The Alumni Association is contemplating taking the minister to court for allegedly violating the principles of the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, which provides the blueprint for these colleges and lists them as 'institutions of national importance.'

Representatives of IIT faculty have written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office requesting the PM to intervene and correct what they describe as a "unilateral decision" that by-passes the autonomy of the IITs. They also say that the minister's plans will compromise the autonomy of IITs.

The common entrance exam would have two steps - a "main" and "advanced" stage.

The results of Class 12 board exams would also play a role in deciding whether a student gets into an engineering college.

Engineering colleges will use a 40:30:30 formula - with Class 12 board results counting for 40 per cent, and the two stages of the entrance exam counting for 30 per cent each.

However, IIT officials objected and won the right to form their own formula. Starting next year, IITs will give equal weight (50 per cent each) to Class 12 results and to the performance of the candidate in the main exam. 50,000 shortlisted students will then move on to the advanced exam.

Every year, over five lakh students take the entrance exam for IITs - there are 10,000 seats available, including quota seats.

Mr Sibal has said that the common entrance exam for engineering colleges is aimed at reducing the pressure on students who finish Class 12 and then have to take multiple exams for different engineering colleges.

His logic has been countered by Anand Kumar, who runs the world-famous Super-30 coaching centre in Patna. Mr Kumar selects 30 students who he coaches for the IIT entrance exam every year. The Super-30 is legendary for the success rate of its students.