Done deal: New engineering exam from 2013

By Ruchi Shrimali

IITs and HRD Ministry had been stuck over the decision to have a single national-level engineering entrance exam in India for over two years. Finally, they have reached a compromise on May 28 and have decided to conduct JEE 2013 in the new format. The new exam will allow different ranking systems for IITs and other CFTIs. Here are the details 

The new exam will replace IIT JEE, AIEEE, and perhaps state-level entrance exams too. The final decision on adoption of the new exam by states will be taken in a high-level meeting to be held on June 5-6. Read more The states will be able to decide what weightage they want to give to Class XII board exams, JEE Main exams, and JEE Advanced Exams for admission to engineering colleges in the state.

The HRD Ministry is trying to address the following challenges by introducing the new exam:

• Remove multiplicity of exams and hence reduce financial and mental stress on engineering course applicants. Taking different exams to secure a seat in an engineering college puts pressure on students in terms of time, payment of application fee, and having to move around to appear for several tests in a year.
• Curb the rampant coaching culture. HRD believes that private coaching is the root cause of the degrading quality of students entering engineering colleges these days.
• Promote school education. With increased emphasis on Class XII board exams in securing a seat in an engineering program, the government hopes to motivate students to take their school studies more seriously and rely less on private coaching institutes that are based on rote learning.

Even though, HRD has won over IIT Council and NIT Council, there are academics, counselors, and IIT faculty members who do not agree with the HRD Minister Kapil Sibal. According to them, the new JEE will not help government in addressing any of the issues stated above. They argue:

• Having a single entrance exam and no alternative will only put students under more pressure to perform as it’s the only option they would have. This will only increase the stress level of students.
• Giving weightage to Class XII board exams will only boost private coaching, as students will now be under pressure to do well in all the three exams – JEE Main and Advanced, as well as Class XII board exams.
• Giving substantial weightage to Class XII board marks will only hurt the students from rural areas and states like Bengal, notorious for not awarding marks generously, where scoring 60 per cent marks can be quite tough. Rural students lack quality schools to help them with their board exams, while there are private coaching centres that are helping them to prepare for IIT JEE for free. The argument is that abolishing IIT JEE and emphasizing on school education will only hurt these students.
• IITs do not follow AICTE-prescribed syllabus and hence need different selection criteria. In such a scenario, abolition of IIT-JEE may hurt its interests. (This has been addressed by the HRD Ministry by allowing IITs to select students only on the basis of JEE Advanced Exam which will be administered by JAB of IITs.)

IIT faculty is not happy with the ‘go-ahead’ of JEE 2013 as they feel that IIT senates have been bypassed in the process. They have also filed a note of dissent on the decision. Know more

Other important decisions:

• JEE Advanced Exam will be solely administered by the Joint Admission Board (JAB) of IITs but the JEE Main Exam will be conducted by an expanded JAB, which will include representatives from NITs, other CFTIs, and state governments.
• Though selection process of IITs and other CFTIs will differ, the counseling and allotment of seats for all institutes will be done jointly. Hence, students who are not able to secure a seat in IIT will still have a chance to get admission in NIT, IIIT, or other CFTI.
• JAB-IIT and COBSE will immediately start coordinating to implement common core curriculum in Science and Maths in CBSE, ICSE, and state boards to remove the disparities in school education across India in the long-term. See other important details