A day after HRD minister Kapil Sibal said that
the government had no intention to impinge on IITs’ autonomy, IIT Delhi Alumni
Association said that while a legal recourse was an option, it would be willing
to discuss the differences.
IIT Delhi Alumni president Somnath Bharti said that it was deeply worried about Sibal’s decision not to rollback.“The new JEE will not only ruin IITs’ autonomy but will also be detrimental to the interests of the students from rural India and the move, if properly analyzed, seems to benefit no one but coaching institutes — a fact belying the claims of MHRD,’’ he said.
Bharti added that the alumni were willing to discuss issues but seeking legal recourse would remain an option. When asked about the controversy over the common entrance test for IITs, Sibal, who is Washington, said, “Quite frankly this is not a minister’s decision. This is the unanimous decision of the IIT Council, consisted of all the IIT directors and chairmen. Then we have the triple IIT Council representatives there, we have NIT Council representatives there. They all decided unanimously for a particular course of action,” he said.
“In terms of the IIT Act, there is an IIT Council. In terms of that Act the Council is entitled to take certain decisions by virtue of a statue. The council has endorsed those decisions. I do not know what the exact objections to it are? I will go back and find out the exact nature of these objections and will surely address it,” he said.
“But one thing I want to make clear that there is no intent to impact on the IIT system’s autonomy. That is quite clear. The academic autonomy of the IIT system has to be maintained and must be maintained. The exam that is being contemplated is going to be set by the IIT, not by the government, not by anybody else,” he added.
Meanwhile, All India IIT faculty federation secretary Prof A K Mittal on Tuesday said that IIT-Kanpur’s decision had ‘set the tone for other IITs that do not agree with the current HRD proposal of common entrance test.’
IIT Delhi Alumni president Somnath Bharti said that it was deeply worried about Sibal’s decision not to rollback.“The new JEE will not only ruin IITs’ autonomy but will also be detrimental to the interests of the students from rural India and the move, if properly analyzed, seems to benefit no one but coaching institutes — a fact belying the claims of MHRD,’’ he said.
Bharti added that the alumni were willing to discuss issues but seeking legal recourse would remain an option. When asked about the controversy over the common entrance test for IITs, Sibal, who is Washington, said, “Quite frankly this is not a minister’s decision. This is the unanimous decision of the IIT Council, consisted of all the IIT directors and chairmen. Then we have the triple IIT Council representatives there, we have NIT Council representatives there. They all decided unanimously for a particular course of action,” he said.
“In terms of the IIT Act, there is an IIT Council. In terms of that Act the Council is entitled to take certain decisions by virtue of a statue. The council has endorsed those decisions. I do not know what the exact objections to it are? I will go back and find out the exact nature of these objections and will surely address it,” he said.
“But one thing I want to make clear that there is no intent to impact on the IIT system’s autonomy. That is quite clear. The academic autonomy of the IIT system has to be maintained and must be maintained. The exam that is being contemplated is going to be set by the IIT, not by the government, not by anybody else,” he added.
Meanwhile, All India IIT faculty federation secretary Prof A K Mittal on Tuesday said that IIT-Kanpur’s decision had ‘set the tone for other IITs that do not agree with the current HRD proposal of common entrance test.’
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