New Delhi: The Centre's proposal for a common entrance test for all engineering institutions, along with the tests for IITs and other central institutes like NITs and IIITs, met stiff resistance from some states at a meeting of education ministers.
In the light of their opposition, states have been given the flexibility to opt out of the proposed common entrance test by conducting examinations for engineering institutions coming under their authority.
Another proposal to allow flexibility to IITs to adopt a methodology of admission of students different from NITs and IIITs also met with opposition from almost all the states.
While Congress-ruled Kerala and Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh opposed the Government's move on the common entrance test, some states including BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat said that they would implement the Centre's proposal.
Gujarat has also written to the Centre supporting the common test. Congress-ruled states of Haryana, Assam and Maharashtra also supported the Centre, sources said.
However, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal claimed that "the overwhelming opinion" was in support of the common test.
Kerala Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb said his state agreed for a common test for central government institutions like IIT, NIT and IIIT. "But a common test for engineering institutions under the jurisdiction of the state Government is not acceptable," he said. "That question does not arise," he told reporters.
Considering the strong opposition from Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, Sibal said flexibility is given to the states which are under no compulsion to join the common entrance test for institutes under their jurisdiction.
It was explained that States would have the freedom to join in the common examination system and have the autonomy to determine their own relative weightages to normalized Class XII Board marks, performance in JEE-MAIN and JEE-ADVANCED.
Almost all states also opposed the Centre's proposal to allow flexibility to prestigious IITs according to which they can adopt a methodology for selection and admission of students which is different from the same in NITs and IIITs.
Led by Bihar, Education Ministers almost unanimously said they cannot agree with a provision in the Centre's proposal that the selection criteria for candidates for the IITs would be different even as all the aspirants or IITS, IIITs and NIT will have to appear in a common test under a new format.
Another proposal to allow flexibility to IITs to adopt a methodology of admission of students different from NITs and IIITs also met with opposition from almost all the states.
While Congress-ruled Kerala and Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh opposed the Government's move on the common entrance test, some states including BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat said that they would implement the Centre's proposal.
Gujarat has also written to the Centre supporting the common test. Congress-ruled states of Haryana, Assam and Maharashtra also supported the Centre, sources said.
However, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal claimed that "the overwhelming opinion" was in support of the common test.
Kerala Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb said his state agreed for a common test for central government institutions like IIT, NIT and IIIT. "But a common test for engineering institutions under the jurisdiction of the state Government is not acceptable," he said. "That question does not arise," he told reporters.
Considering the strong opposition from Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, Sibal said flexibility is given to the states which are under no compulsion to join the common entrance test for institutes under their jurisdiction.
It was explained that States would have the freedom to join in the common examination system and have the autonomy to determine their own relative weightages to normalized Class XII Board marks, performance in JEE-MAIN and JEE-ADVANCED.
Almost all states also opposed the Centre's proposal to allow flexibility to prestigious IITs according to which they can adopt a methodology for selection and admission of students which is different from the same in NITs and IIITs.
Led by Bihar, Education Ministers almost unanimously said they cannot agree with a provision in the Centre's proposal that the selection criteria for candidates for the IITs would be different even as all the aspirants or IITS, IIITs and NIT will have to appear in a common test under a new format.
However, the overwhelming opinion was in support of the common test, Sibal said in his concluding remarks.
He also said flexibility is given to the states which are under no compulsion to join the common entrance test for institutes under their jurisdiction.
"The states were requested to convey their decision on the year of joining the common admission process and the relative weightages to class XII Board marks, performance in JEE-MAIN and JEE- ADVANCED by June 30 to enable preparations to be made accordingly," he said.
It was also clarified at the meeting that where a state intends to join the common test for admission to engineering institutions in the state, the exam papers would be also available in the regional language of the state in addition to English and Hindi.
West Bengal did not send their representatives to the meeting, sources said.
In the meeting, Sibal announced the decision to start 200 Community Colleges on a pilot basis across the country in 2012-13. The number of community colleges will be scaled up gradually, he added.
He made the announcement after Madhya Pradesh Education Minister Archana Chitnis presented the Report of the Group of Ministers on the "Concept and Framework of the Community College Scheme" in the Conference.
The Report was unanimously accepted by the states and Union Territories.
While welcoming the setting up of Community Colleges, the Education Ministers agreed the concept of Community Colleges is a paradigm shift leading to skill development and energisation of the community and the youth will be educated not only for taking employment but, more importantly, for becoming self-employed.
The meeting also discussed the draft Bill for establishment of IIITs and implementation of the scheme for IIITs on public-private partnership mode.
The states unanimously supported the Bill and demanded it be moved at the earliest for Parliamentary approval.
The HRD Minister said the government intends to introduce the Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament.
On demands from the states on the scheme for establishment of IIITs, including that the private partner need not necessarily be from the industry, the meeting agreed to allow central and state public sector undertakings (PSUs) to be accepted as industry partners for establishment of IIITs.
The meeting also agreed to give states the flexibility to bring in one or more industry partners instead of limiting the number of partners to three.
"The states were requested to convey their decision on the year of joining the common admission process and the relative weightages to class XII Board marks, performance in JEE-MAIN and JEE- ADVANCED by June 30 to enable preparations to be made accordingly," he said.
It was also clarified at the meeting that where a state intends to join the common test for admission to engineering institutions in the state, the exam papers would be also available in the regional language of the state in addition to English and Hindi.
West Bengal did not send their representatives to the meeting, sources said.
In the meeting, Sibal announced the decision to start 200 Community Colleges on a pilot basis across the country in 2012-13. The number of community colleges will be scaled up gradually, he added.
He made the announcement after Madhya Pradesh Education Minister Archana Chitnis presented the Report of the Group of Ministers on the "Concept and Framework of the Community College Scheme" in the Conference.
The Report was unanimously accepted by the states and Union Territories.
While welcoming the setting up of Community Colleges, the Education Ministers agreed the concept of Community Colleges is a paradigm shift leading to skill development and energisation of the community and the youth will be educated not only for taking employment but, more importantly, for becoming self-employed.
The meeting also discussed the draft Bill for establishment of IIITs and implementation of the scheme for IIITs on public-private partnership mode.
The states unanimously supported the Bill and demanded it be moved at the earliest for Parliamentary approval.
The HRD Minister said the government intends to introduce the Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament.
On demands from the states on the scheme for establishment of IIITs, including that the private partner need not necessarily be from the industry, the meeting agreed to allow central and state public sector undertakings (PSUs) to be accepted as industry partners for establishment of IIITs.
The meeting also agreed to give states the flexibility to bring in one or more industry partners instead of limiting the number of partners to three.
