Government likely to accept some of the demands of IIT faculty

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Giving in to the IIT faculty and alumni, the government is understood to be considering accepting some of their demands like not taking plus-two board results into account for preparing the merit list under a new common entrance system for admission to undegraduate engineering courses.

Sources in the IIT faculty said that the government is considering this proposal to break the logjam over the proposed common entrance test. They said that the ministry is actively considering not taking board results into account only for 2013 when the new system is implemented.

However, the faculty has no objection to include the board results from 2014 onwards.

According to the new system vetted by the IIT council, there would be a main test and an advance test, which a student has to appear for admission to IIT and other centrally funded technical institutes like NIT and IIIT.

Weightage will also be given to plus-two board results while preparing the merit list.

Meanwhile, the government would be asking the joint admission board of the IITs to finalise modalities of the advance exam, one of the components of the two-tier test.

IIT faculty and the alumni have been opposing the move tooth and nail, demanding that the new system should not be implemented before 2014. They contend that the proposed common entrance test would undermine the autonomy enjoyed by the IITs and dilute the IIT brand.

Indications are that IIT Delhi senate, which is expected to meet on June 21, would also follow on the lines of IIT Kanpur. The latter has decided to hold its own entrance test following its rejection of the new system.

The faculty federation has already met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh voicing their opposition to the test, stating that they have been assured by him that autonomy of IITs will be maintained.