Single JEE from 2015? JEE Main & JEE Advanced expected to be merged

As per sources, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has decided to have a single entrance exam for admissions into the IITs, thereby merging the existing two-tier format of JEE Main and JEE Advanced, in 2015. This change will hold for admissions to National Institutes of Technology (NIT) and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutes (CFTI) as well. As per a new directive by the ministry, in 2014, all engineering colleges including the IITs and NITs will have to conduct a common counseling session for students. Senior officials reveal that this is being done to avoid seats going vacant during counseling sessions.

This decision is being taken in light of the fact that in 2012 wherein separate counseling sessions were held, around 600 seats at the various IITs and NITs were left vacant. This happened because candidates received admission at both, IIT and NIT, leaving them confused and forcing them to select one out of the two. The confusion arose in cases where students did not get their choice of engineering stream at the IITs, also several students opted for the established NITs as against the newer IITs.

At present, JEE main is considered to be a selection exam for candidates wanting to gain admission into CFTIs such as NITs and IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information Technology) and students wanting to gain admission into IITs need to be shortlisted and do well in JEE Advanced as well. However, the ministry has decided to merge the exams to make the admission process simpler and to reduce the influence of coaching centres on students.

In this context, Ashok Thakur, Secretary, Department of Higher Education was quoted as saying that the HRD ministry has decided to merge the existing JEE Main and JEE Advanced engineering  entrance exams from 2015 and all IITs have been notified about it.

The HRD ministry got approval for a common engineering entrance exam to be conducted in 2013 but this decision was widely protested against. Keeping this in mind a new two tier (JEE Main and JEE Advanced) entrance exam system was introduced in 2013. However, the centre again plans to make amends to this and introduce a single entrance exam in 2015.