Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-Delhi) Thursday also revolted against the human resource development ministry’s move for a common entrance test and decided to hold its own entrance exam from 2013.

“We have rejected the governments’ proposal and instead would be having our own separate test,” IIT Faculty Federation president Sanjeev Sanghi told IANS.

The decision, taken following a meeting of the IIT Delhi senate Thursday, said that the exams would be conducted in association with IIT-Kanpur, which has also rejected the government’s single entrance test move June 8.

“As of now we have associated with IIT Kanpur as they are the only other IIT institution that have opposed the government… we will be willing to associate with other IITss if they wish to join us,” added Sanghi, who heads the national body of IIT teachers which is leading the battle against the new format along with IIT alumni associations.

Several IITs have come out in opposition on the proposed common entrance test, which merges IIT Joint Entrance Exam (IIT-JEE) with the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) and also includes a fixed weightage from school board exam.

The IIT Faculty Federation and alumni associations have called the decision an attack on the autonomy of the institutions. They have said the senates were overruled while taking this decision, even as several IIT directors spoke in favour of the new format.

The professors, alumni and those close to the IITs fear the new format will “dilute” the IITs.

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal contends that the common test was in favour of students.

IITs have been holding a joint entrance exam. However, the new format combines it with the entrance exam for the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).