IIT Kanpur Rejects Sibal's CET Proposal, to Conduct Own Entrance Test

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has decided to conduct its own exam for admissions from 2013, rejecting Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal's proposal for a common entrance test to all centrally-funded engineering institutes.

The institute Friday passed a resolution at a meeting of a 200-member senate, slamming the HRD Ministry's proposal for a common entrance test as "academically and methodically unsound and in violation of the Institutes of Technology Act (1961) and IIT Kanpur Ordinances (Ordinance 3.2 (Admissions)".

The senate also decided that that the institute would conduct its own entrance test from 2013. Accordingly, the senate has authorized the chairman of the senate to set up a committee with the help of Dean of Academic Affairs (DOAA -IIT K) for conducting JEE 2013 by the institute.

Earlier on May 28, HRD Minister and IIT Council head Kapil Sibal announced a common two-tier Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admissions to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), International Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs). He said that the new format would replace the IIT-JEE and AIEEE and would be effective from 2013 onwards.

Based on his proposal, XII board results will also be considered as part of the selection process.

Sibal had mentioned that the decision to have a CET was taken unanimously after senates of four of the seven IITs had backed them in the meeting.

But now IIT Kanpur has decided to reject Sibal's proposal. IIT- Delhi is also likely expected to adopt the decision taken by IIT-Kanpur. The All India IIT Faculty Federation has said that IIT Kanpur will coordinate with other institutes who have decided to go with IIT-K's decision.

According to the IIT Faculty Federation's statement, "five out the seven IIT Senates have decided that there should be no change for the year 2013...Therefore, it can be concluded that the current common examination announced by the HRM is in violation of the majority Senates views on more than one count," NDTV reported.

The decision comes at a time when the IIT alumni were reportedly planning to move the court against the CET. Several aspiring candidates have already voiced their disapproval for the new CET format citing the forthcoming rules as unfair and a cause for confusion.