Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 22 (IANS) A day after IIT Delhi followed Kanpur’s way against the proposed common entrance test, the human resource development ministry has called a meeting of the IIT Councils to discuss the situation.

The move comes as more Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are expected to rebel against the new format, with the Senates of nearly all IITs rejecting it.

A statement Friday from the HRD ministry said that a meeting will be called Wednesday in the national capital.

“The uncertainty faced by the student community, consequent to the resolutions of the senates of IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi, requires to be addressed,” the statement said.

“Consequently, a special meeting of the IIT Council is being convened on June 27,” it said.

Meanwhile, sources hinted that IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur may also follow the stand of their Delhi and Kanpur counterparts.

A professor from IIT Bombay said the meeting of IIT Bombay senate was scheduled for July 2.

Faculty members in IIT Kharagpur are also likely to ask their director to hold a meeting soon. Director Damodar Acharya, who has been backing the HRD ministry decision, has so far toed the line of the IIT council. His tenure ends June 30.

Several IITs are opposing the proposed common entrance test, which merges IIT Joint Entrance Exam (IIT-JEE) with the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) and includes a fixed weightage for school board exams.

IIT Delhi Thursday rejected the common entrance test and decided to hold its own entrance exam from 2013.

IIT Delhi said after its decision, that the exams would be conducted in association with IIT Kanpur, which has also rejected the government’s single entrance test.

Members of All India IIT Faculty Federation had also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently to urge him to intervene.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal however has maintained that the new system is in favour of students and does not affect the autonomy of the IITs.