New JEE format as per schedule

Updated on: Friday, November 23, 2012

HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju rejected demands for revisiting the new format for admission to IITs and other centrally-funded institutes, saying the new system is "in the larger interest (rpt) interest of the student" community and would be held from next year as scheduled.

His remarks came in the backdrop of the IIT Delhi Alumni Association, which has been opposing the IIT-JEE exam under the new format, met him last week seeking his intervention.

"A lot of thought has gone into it and I think it is in the larger interest of the student community in order to save them a lot of inconvenience. It would be unfair for me to question the good work done so far... We stand to implement it from 2013 onwards," he told reporters.

Aspirants for IITs and other technical institutes like NITs would be appearing the IIT-JEE next year under a new two- tier format which also gives weightage to the class XII marks.

The association had maintained the IIT alumni spread across the globe was deeply aggrieved with the change in format of the exam.

Asked if the government was thinking of extending the deadline for the states to meet the RTE obligations, Raju replied in negative.

Though he noted that schools still face a shortfall of teachers to the tune of 13.5 lakh and infrastructure, Raju said, "If we continue to extend the deadline, it will not meet the purpose."

"We stand committed to meeting the deadline which is March 2013. We will work with states towards meeting the shortfall, we have to hold the hands of the states, we will have to guide them, coax them, threaten them, and I think we have to work... Eventually we have to meet the objectives of ensuring that education is given to all our kids and all states are committed to that objective," he said.

However, he noted that teachers could be given some grace period to clear the mandatory teacher eligibility test if they have not cleared it.

Raju also appeared to favour the hike in tuition fee of IIT undergraduate programme from Rs 50,000 to Rs 90,000 from next year, though he said the decision should be left to the IIT council.

"If an institution is going down because of lack of resources, definitely intervention is needed but we have to leave it to the councils in determining what is the best thing," he said.

The IIT council is meeting on January 7 next year to take a call on the issue.

Lauding the measures initiated by his predecessor Kapil Sibal in the higher education sector, Raju said four bills would be taken up in the Winter Session beginning tomorrow for consideration and passage.

They are the Education Tribunal Bill, Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill, National Accreditation Bill and the Architects (Amendment) Bill.

He said some concerns have been raised about the Foreign Education Providers Bill which has not been listed in the session. Besides, the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012, introduced in Parliament last session, would not be taken up as it is with the standing committee.

However, Raju noted that he would be reaching out "formally" to the Opposition parties for building a consensus on the passage of the listed legislation and in particular about the Tribunals Bill, which is stuck in the Upper House for over two years.

When his attention was drawn to the recent controversies over the textbook content, he said that states should have to bear a collective responsibility other than NCERT in monitoring the content.

"Other than NCERT, there it should be a collective responsibility to ensure that the states should ensure offencive content is not there. But my request is do not sensationalise it," he said.

Though Raju did not divulge details about the steps his ministry is contemplating to cushion the impact on the mid-day meal programme following a cap on LPG cylinder, he said they are working on a solution.

"Our priority is to ensure quality of the mid-day meal programme and not to dilute it," he said.

He also appeared not inclined towards a Plan Panel proposal in the 12th Plan for higher education institutes to run for profit. However, he supported strong industry linkages with institutes for R&D activities which can draw funds.

When his attention was drawn to the standoff between Delhi University Teachers' Association and the vice chancellor, Raju sought both the parties to resolve the issue "mutually".

"The VC is doing some new measures which are appreciable, but at the same time it should be through a consultative process and DUTA is a recognised elected body. I hope there would be consultation on both sides instead of taking unilateral decisions. DUTA met me yesterday. DUTA and VC have to sit together and resolve it mutually," he said.

The minister also rejected the demand of the Bihar government of naming the proposed central university in Bihar at Motihari after Mahatma Gandhi, saying "we will stick to the demand of naming the universities after the nomenclature of the state".

New JEE format as per schedule

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