Revamp exam system, urges Sibal

Updated on: Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The examination system needs an immediate overhaul to reduce the burden on students, Union human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal reiterated on Saturday. Hinting at the introduction of a single-exam system, the minister said assessment of academic performance should be more broad-based and youngsters’ careers should not hinge merely on entrance exams.

Addressing a press meet at the IIT-Kharagpur’s 56th convocation, Sibal said there was a “crying need” for restructuring the exam system that now requires students to scurry around the country taking multiple exams to get into technological institutions and medical colleges.

“I don’t want our children to hop around cities, taking dozens of exams. There is an urgent need to reduce the pressure on our students and I welcome any suggestion towards that. Institutions should realize that it is not proper to depend just on entrance tests, for it breeds reliance on coaching centres, which is unfair. It also encourages students to focus less on their Plus-Two classes and attach more importance to preparations for entrance exams. Due weightage has to be given to board exams as well. That is why we have set up the committee, which is looking into the proposals for reforms,” said Sibal.

But he added that no decision on reforms has been taken yet. “Once the report is ready — expectedly by the end of this month — there will be discussions on the proposals. Only then shall we arrive at a decision,” Sibal clarified.

Structural reforms for universities, too, were on the anvil, the HRD minister announced. “Here we are laying stress on quality. But things can’t happen overnight,” he added.

Earlier, addressing students at the convocation, Sibal urged the IIT pass-outs to try and find ways of contributing to the society, which would be satisfying and rewarding in the long run. He also rued the lack of leaders, exhorting the graduates to “lead and create change in the right direction”.

“We live in a time when the world needs to have more and better leaders. The world is waiting for us to step out and take action. We know that wide-scale change is possible when people like you decide to stand up and lead. So, I ask each of you to figure out what your passion is and take charge,” he said.

On whether IITs should function more as research institutions than as academic ones, Sibal said he wanted them to be the former. “Research creates intangible wealth, which benefits the country in the long run. The university system in the country has to move in that direction,” he said.

Terming brain-drain as a misnomer, the minister said the IITs were wrongly blamed for perpetrating it. “In fact, there has been a reversal of the trend in recent years. Now, more people are coming back to India than are leaving to pursue their careers abroad. This is a wonderful time to be in India, for the opportunities here are enormous. Having said that, it has to be added that knowledge is global and if Indians benefit by working or researching abroad, they are only augmenting our intellectual resources,” Sibal said.

Revamp exam system, urges Sibal

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