IIT Faculty and Alumni Meeting with PM on Friday: Common Admission Test War Escalates

The fight between IIT faculty and HRD ministry has finally reached at the door of Mr. Manmohan Singh. A group of IIT faculty members and alumni wrote a letter to the Prime Minister which explained their main objections to the newly proposed common entrance examination for admission to IITs and other engineering institutes in India. The group wanted that Mr. Manmohan Singh intervene in the matter and help to resolve the matter.

The group comprise of members of the All India IIT Faculty Federation and Alumni Association. They will meet prime minister on Friday, 15th June 2012. Also a delegation is scheduled to meet the PM’s adviser TKA Nair on the same issue at 4 pm on Thursday, 14th June 2012. The AIIITFF has already sent two letters to PMO. On 31st May 2012, the faculty members cited Articles 28 (a) and 29 (1) of the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 which states that as far as the decision on admission standards is concerned, the IIT senate’s word would be considered supreme. However HRD ministry continue to maintain the stance that they are not violating the IIT Act 1961 by changing the admission procedure in IITs.

The difference of opinion among IITs and Mr. Kapil Sibal is slowly changing into a full blown war. IIT Kanpur senate already announced a separate entrance examination in 2013 and will not accept the newly introduced common engineering test announced on 28th May. There are rumors that IIT Delhi is also exploring a similar option of conducting its own version of JEE test and not accept the common engineering test announced by HRD. Other IIT senates are also expected to decide on the new test by the end of this month.

While some new development may be expected out of the meeting scheduled on Friday, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal is currently in the USA to attend the India-US education dialogue and is expected to reply on Monday only.