Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) has decided to conduct its own entrance examination, rejecting the plan by the government to conduct a single entrance examination from 2013. IIT Kanpur had recently said that it would conduct its own entrance test.
"It is historic though unfortunate that, pushed to the edge by Mr Sibal's autocratic and manipulative attitude, IIT Delhi Senate had no choice but to decide to do an IIT Kanpur in today's jam packed senate meeting and decided unanimously to reject IIT Council decision dated 28.05.2012," said Somnath Bharti, President, IIT Delhi Alumni Association.
On May 28, the IIT Council has said that a joint entrance examination will be held from 2013 for admission to the centrally funded engineering institutes including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), International Institute of Information Technology (IIITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs). It had further said that equal weightage (50 per cent to each) will be given to marks obtained in the Class XII examinations and the performance in the entrance tests to be eligible for the advanced test.
The statement by IIT-D said that IIT-D Senate has decided to hold entrance examination 2013 on the lines of Joint Entrance Examination 2012 along with other willing IITs to the extent possible and has invited other IITs to join them in conducting the entrance examination for 2013.
The Senate unanimously rejected the decision of the Councils as it impinges on the autonomy of IITs and the decision was not academically sound. Further, the Senate resolved that the 2012 examination will on the lines of JEE 2012. "The Senate also decided to conduct its own Entrance Examination in coordination with other IITs, if possible. For 2014 and beyond, the Senate will set up a Committee which will review and propose changes to the Senate," said the statement.
Further it said that the IIT-D Alumni Association fully supports the resolution and has communicated to the Senate, through its representatives that it is solidly for the autonomy of the IIT and their Senates. The association also said that in this matter, the ministry of human resource development has not taken into account the effect which the Council decision will have on bright students who are poor and those in rural areas, where school education is not upto the mark. "Should the need arise, the alumni will be willingly to take the matter to the Court," said the statement.
