NCP questions hurry in changing IIT-JEE admission format

NEW DELHI: UPA ally NCP today questioned in the Rajya Sabha, the government's hurry in pushing for changes in the IIT-JEE format for admissions from 2013 without the consent of the prestigious technical education centres.

"Why the Minister (HRD Minister Kapil Sibal) is in a hurry to rush it in 2013...without taking the views of stakeholders. They were never consulted," Tariq Anwar (NCP) demanded to know raising the issue during the Zero Hour.

He said the senates of IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Delhi have disapproved of the way the Human Resource Development Ministry has been pushing for the changes in the test.

"I urged the Minister to look into it and take IITs' suggestion," he said, adding the institutes were not against the proposal but against the manner in which issues were pursued without consulting them.

The government has proposed to change the IIT-JEE format by introducing two-part objective-type tests and giving weightage to Class XII marks.

The Ministry plans to hold an Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET) from 2013. This would serve as a single national entrance exam for admission to engineering and science courses in centrally funded institutions such as the 15 IITs, 30 NITs and a host of other technical institutes.

The test will replace the existing IIT-JEE and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE).

Highlighting the plight of farmers in the country, Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala (BJP) said cotton growers have not been able to export even a bale despite the government lifting the ban, which had led to suicides by farmers.