Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, BHU and Jamia Millia Islamia have shown disinterest in the introduction of common admission test or aptitude test for admission in their undergraduate courses as proposed by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal recently. Read the rest of this entry »

Ministry of Human Resource Development today mooted the idea of combining of medical test and engineering test. In a meeting of the state Education Ministers in New Delhi the Union Minister for Human Resource and Development Kapil Sibal said that the ministry is considering the idea of merging of the CBSE’s Pre Medical Test (PMT) and the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) so that students could suffer less. He said that Physics and Chemistry will be common for both PMT and AIEEE, the medical student can answer only the Biology paper and the engineering students the Mathematics paper.  

Sibal also indicated SAT type of examination for other tests. He said that the Ministry was presently debating whether it is possible to have one common exam after class XII that will test general awareness and aptitude. “The marks of different Boards could be equalized through a mathematical formula for weightage.  The common core curriculum required for removing disparity of syllabi that necessitate different entrance exams catering to different boards has already been developed by COBSE for Science and Maths”, Sibal said.  The HRD Minister also wants to set up a National Institute for Assessment and Evaluation for the school systems in the country and their syllabi. However, it would be voluntary for the states.

The government has moved ahead to introduce SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) type for admission in different courses at the undergraduate level. The move may end the era of prestigious examinations like IIT-JEE, PMT and other entrance examination for professional courses after 10+2. The issue today discussed in a meeting of COBSE.

According to HRD Ministry the different boards may move towards a common entrance examination in these subjects in 2013. A task force is also being set up to formulate the modalities for this Common Entrance Exam. The HRD Ministry has already mooted the proposal in this regard and discussed it with different boards including Central School Organisation and Vice-Chancellors of Central Universities.

After Xth the CBSE is now preparing itself to introduce grading system for XII too. Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today said that the ministry is considering the modalities of introducing grade system in senior secondary classes.
The Ministry has already discussed the issue with the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan, Vice-Chancellors of Central Universities apart from CBSE. Sibal said that a committee on this issue has already been made. After the committee’s report the ministry will take view of CABE and CoBSE in this regard.
“Several issues are involved in introducing the grading system for 12th. The biggest hurdle is to get recognition from universities for it for admission in the undergraduate courses”, said a senior official of HRD Ministry. This is the reason that Ministry wants to introduce SAT-type test for admission in the undergraduate courses, he adds.

Students wish to get admission in various professional and other courses after 12th may have to clear SAT – type test to get their choice of course and institute. In a roundtable meeting at Ministry of HRD, attended by several vice-chancellors, principals and representatives of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan, CBSE and other officials reached to a conclusion, in principle, to organize SAT like test for admission in undergraduate courses.

SAT (formerly known as Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is widely used in US for admission in the undergraduate courses. According to sources, it was also discussed about modalities of such examination. The representatives also discussed the issue of grading system in school and assessment of schools. The HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has already said that such type of examination is necessary to bring uniformity in the system. In a meeting of vice-chancellors of newly formed central universities Sibal had categorically said to organize such examination for admission in various courses.