The Hindu : National : New policy on entrance tests to technical courses

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Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

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National

New policy on entrance tests to technical courses

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 24. The Human Resource Development Ministry today came out with a detailed policy on entrance tests for admission to technical courses in professional educational institutions. The new policy is in keeping with the commitment made by the Government in the Common Minimum Programme to restore autonomy to the institutions.

Under this policy, all institutions such as the National Institute of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Information Technology, the National Institute of Forge and Foundry Technology (Ranchi), the School of Planning and Architecture (New Delhi), and other institutes of the Central Government will have to admit students through the All-India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The AIEEE has been made optional for other educational institutions such as Central/Deemed universities. They can opt for the AIEEE or conduct their own examination based on a transparent procedure. In October 2003, under the NDA Government, the HRD Ministry had mandated that admissions on an all-India basis to all but a few select institutions should be done through the AIEEE.

Own tests for IITs, IIMs

The Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have been allowed to continue with their own tests. In the case of IIMs, the issue was settled soon after the UPA Government took charge. On June 18, the Ministry decided that admissions on an all-India basis to management courses for the coming academic year would be through one of the five national entrance tests, reversing the previous Government's decision mandating a single entrance examination to the management courses from the academic year 2005-06.

Institutions under the jurisdiction of the State Governments have been given the option of admitting students through entrance tests conducted by the CBSE, IIMs, IITs, Xavier Labour Research Institute, All India Management Association or the Association of Indian Management Schools.

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