The proposed common national examination for science and engineering for Central institutes, scheduled for implementation from 2013, may be delayed as the IIT council meeting on Saturday ended without taking any concrete decision on the issue. The councils are pushing for an year’s delay in the implementation of the single entrance test and are insisting on holding the test from 2014.
At Saturday’s meeting, held under the chairmanship of HRD minister Kapil Sibal, the IITs are understood to have opted to retain the existing format of JEE for the year 2013. Sources stated that another joint meeting of the IIT and NIT councils has been scheduled for May 28 where these issues will be discussed again and a final decision taken. Earlier this meeting was scheduled to be held on April 14 but was deferred indefinitely after the government came under attack from the All India IIT Faculty Federation which has continued its opposition to the proposed changes to the existing IIT-JEE entrance examination pattern.
The proposed test will replace the existing IIT-JEE and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination.
Sources said the indecision on the proposed single entrance examination means the entire process could take several months and could push back the date of implementation of the entrance test further.
It is understood that at the meeting the issue was discussed again, however, it was pointed out that senates of several IITs had continued to oppose the proposed single entrance test proposal.
The council is also understood to have discussed the possibility of preparing the merit list without taking into account the candidates’ performance in board examinations.