New Delhi:
It's a compromise formula devised by Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal ahead of a crucial meeting of the IIT Council on June 27 on the new entrance format for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Directors of all IITs met today to discuss the Common Entrance Test, within a framework given by the HRD ministry.
Faced with immense protest from the faculty community, Mr Sibal called for a meeting of the IIT Council, after two IITs - Kanpur and Delhi - decided to hold their own test, rejecting his 'one nation, one test' formula. Sensing popular sentiment and with sources telling NDTV that two more IITs were also likely to join the revolt, the ministry has worked out a framework within which the country's premier engineering institutions need to decide on what's agreeable to them.
While the ministry is accommodating with the idea of the IITs conducting their own test and board marks not being considered, it's likely to have its way on when the new format will be implemented. On May 28, Mr Sibal had announced that the new format would kick in from next year.
Today, the directors discussed a compromise formula which includes taking the top 20-30 students based on percentile ranking of the respective boards for preparing the merit list. This formula is likely to replace the current proposal which gives weightage to board results.
The percentile criterion along with performance in the Joint Entrance Examination-Main will be used for selecting around 50,000 students and their score at the advanced test conducted by the IITs will be taken into account to prepare the merit list for admission to the institutions. The IIT Senates have been keen on conducting the Advance test themselves, and it's a big victory for all dissenting bodies.
The new formula hammered out during this discussion of all Directors will be now discussed at the IIT Council, next week.
Earlier in the day, the All India Faculty Federation said it welcomed the Council meeting called by the ministry, adding that it was keen on a discussion. The Federation had earlier taken its protest to the Prime Minister who is said to have assured them that the autonomy of the IITs would be upheld. The statement issued by the Federation is indicative that it's willing to walk half way down the bridge.