Asking union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to reconsider his move to change the existing eligibility criteria for the IIT joint entrance examination, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the new proposal will discriminate against students with poor socio-economic status.
In a letter faxed to Sibal, Kumar said: "Such proposals will favour students with elite background and discriminate against students with poor socio-economic status. Any examination system should be inclusive. Any change in the existing examination system will have far reaching consequences, which is unwarranted."
Sibal had on Monday mooted a new proposal whereby a student would have to secure at least 80 per cent marks in the class XII Board examinations instead of 60 per cent which is currently required to sit for the IIT-JEE.
The chief minister said that students from backward regions would be the most affected by the new proposal.
"In the existing system, larger pool of students with different socio-economic background are able to appear in the entrance examination. This explains better performance of students from backward regions in the IIT examination," he added.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad also opposed the move and described it as a "wrong step".
"The proposal has been brought under a conspiracy to deny entry of the students coming from poor and deprived backgrounds into the IIT," he said.
"We strongly oppose it and I will personally take up the issue with Sibal," Yadav added.
When contacted, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed refused to comment, saying he did not have any details about what the HRD minister had proposed.
