IIT-Delhi revolts Kapil Sibal's common examination, to hold own entrance test

NEW DELHI: Yet another IIT senate has rejected human resource development minister Kapil Sibal's new common entrance examination. The IIT Delhi senate on Thursday rejected the common exam and decided to hold its own entrance test from 2013.

After IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi has revolted against the new two-step common entrance examination. The IIT Council, headed by the HRD minister and comprising IIT directors, had approved a new entrance examination on May 28.

"We will not accept the proposed single entrance test and will conduct our own exam," said a senate member, adding the proposed test "impinges" on the autonomy of IIT Delhi. "These decisions, which are against the stated position of the senate of IIT Delhi, impinge on the autonomy of IIT Delhi... They (the proposed tests) are academically unsound and procedurally untenable. The senate rejects the proposed admission procedure," the senate resolution states.

With two IIT senates formally rejecting the new common entrance exam, the stage is set for a major confrontation between the IIT Council, chaired by Sibal, and the faculty members, who comprise the senates at each of the IITs. The face-off has already begun to take a political colour, with faculty members charging the government of interfering with the institute's autonomy.

While there is no comment from the ministry or the IIT Council on Thursday's development, the HRD minister has consistently stressed that the decision to hold a common entrance for centrally funded engineering institutes, including IITs, was taken by the Council, which comprises all the IIT directors.