Bangalore: The Common Entrance Test (CET) is a model test of its kind that several other States had tried to emulate and adopt and the Eduvision Committee's recommendation to the Government to scrap it and consider pre-university marks for admission to professional courses has come as a shock to the stakeholders involved.

The State Government had formed 11-member Eduvision Committee to prepare the Eduvision 2015 report, which was a plan for the next decade.

S.G. Hegde, Commissioner of Pre-University Education and Special Officer of the CET Cell, told The Hindu that the committee did not take the views of the stakeholders — the Department of Pre-University Education and CET Cell — before making the recommendation. "The committee did not collect our views. We need to first understand the reasons behind such a recommendation. Moreover, we have not received the report," he said.

Mr. Hegde said the State's CET had a national-level reputation for being transparent and efficient. "If the committee has recommended scrapping of such a model system, then the alternative should be just as good or better," he added.

About candidates being admitted to professional courses based on their performance or marks in the qualifying examinations (second PU or 12th standard), the Commissioner said the pre-university system was not as foolproof as CET.

"We are making efforts to make it malpractice-free. It will take time to achieve that result. This year, in spite of our efforts, 900 students were debarred for indulging in malpractice and the examination was cancelled in one centre," he said.

Mr. Hedge said that one should always emulate a model that was better than what was practised. He said that CET could not be scrapped until the department achieved high-level of transparency and efficiency. "The CET provides a balancing effect, as CBSE, ISCE and second PU students take the test," he said.

About students being "burdened" with entrance tests, he said the students' job was to study. "Let us consider that the CET is indeed scrapped, the students will have to take COMED-K (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka). Another examination is not going to stress them out much," he said.

D. Jagannath Rao, former director of Department of State Educational Research and Training and chairman of Eduvision Committee, defended the recommendation made by the committee. Mr. Rao said the CET was introduced because students from other States were appearing for it. "Now the situation has changed. Only Karnataka students take the CET. When the situation has changed, it is time to change the system also."

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu