IIT Bombay seeks change in test formula; may get backing of IIT-Delhi and IIT-Kanpur

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According to reports if human resource development minister Kapil SIbal thought that he had managed to put the IITcommon entrance examination debacle behind him, then he is mistaken. The compromise over the IIT admission test hammered out late last month has run in to trouble. The Senate of the IIT Bombay now wants fewer students from the JEE Main. Instead of the proposed 1,50,000 students it has suggested to absorb 50,000. It is expected that the Senates of IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur will echo the modification suggested by their colleagues in IIT Bombay.

In the formula hammered out at the special meeting of the IIT Council on June 27, it was agreed that only the top 1.5 lakh students, across all categories, in the JEE Main will be eligible to appear for the JEE Advanced. Admission to the IITs will be based on the category wise-general, OBC, SC and ST-ranking of presentation in the JEE Advanced. Students shorlisted on the basis of performance in the JEE Advanced must be among the top 20 percentile in the applicable category-general, OBC, SC and ST-in their respective boards.

IIT Bombay wants the pool of students shortlisted from the JEE Main to be reduced to 50,000. It has argued that there are only 9,640 seats in the IITs. Therefore it doesn't make sense to shortlist more than 50,000 students. This would give them a ratio of 10 students per seat. A larger number of students for the JEE Advanced would only serve to put pressure on the IIT's entrance examination machinery.

Another reason behind keeping the number of shortlisted students down to 50,000 is the nature of the JEE Advanced examination. The IITs have been actively considering moving to a subjective test, as against the objective multiple choice kind of test. While there are differences among the IITs over whether the subjective test should be the paper and pencil variety or machine readable, there is little disagreement over the fact that the current objective type of test is not acceptable. A higher number of students, such as the 1,50,000 suggested in the compromise formula would make this shift difficult.

The IIT system will be wholly responsible for the JEE Advanced examination. Performance in the JEE Advanced would determine the student's chances of getting admission to the IITs. Under the new formula, it is only the IITs that will consider performance in the JEE Advanced. For admission to all other centrally funded institutes, including the National Institutes of Technology, IIITs, the JEE Advanced has no role to play. This is also the case with state engineering institutions and deemed universities, which want to join in the common entrance examination.

Earlier, the Senate of IIT Madras ratified the compromise formula completely. The IIT Kanpur Senate is slated to meet on Saturday and IIT Delhi soon after. Both are expected to suggest a modification on the lines of IIT Bombay.

Source : Economictimes