Single Engineering Entrance Test: West Bengal Urges Javadekar To Scrap The Proposal
After some states have expressed their protests regarding common entrance examination in medical courses, it's the turn of the proposed single engineering entrance examination now. West Bengal government today expressed concern against the proposed single entrance examination for all engineering institutions from 2018 academic session and it demanded the centre to scrap the move.
On March 14,
HT had reported that, from 2018, admission to engineering colleges around the country will be conducted through a single entrance test, with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approving a comprehensive package. The same report had also said that the AICTE came up with this proposal following a directive from HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.
According to PTI, West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said that he had already sent a letter to the Union Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar opposing the Centre's move to scrap state engineering entrance exams and pave the way for a central entrance test for admissions to all engineering colleges.
Mr. Chatterjee in his letter requested Union HRD Minister Javadekar to reconsider the move to begin the single entrance test for all engineering institutions from 2018 academic year onward. He also requested to dismiss the proposal.
West Bengal Education minister mr. Chatterjee also said that the centre's move is an intrusion in to state's jurisdiction and this should not have been done in this way in a federal structure as the state governments were not consulted before commencing such a move which falls under concurrent list.
"The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board - the nodal body conducting the JEE engineering tests in the state is an established agency set up by us. There have been no problems in conducting the engineering exams. Then why does the Centre want to discontinue this existing system?" the minister asked.
Mr. Chatterjee also complained that there is no parity in the syllabus among the various (higher secondary) boards. He also said that the marking patterns are also different with boards.
"Even the marking pattern is different. The questions will be prepared based on the syllabus taught by CBSE. How can our students compete at the moment if no standardisation of the syllabus is done?" Chatterjee asked.
(With Inputs from PTI)
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