Kanpur Faculty To Skip Convocation
New Delhi: Opinion is growing against the HRD ministry’s decision to introduce a common engineering test for central engineering institutions, including IITs, NITs and IIITs, with the IIT alumni on Friday deciding to move court against it.
Faculty members from IIT Kanpur are also planning to boycott the institute’s convocation ceremony on Saturday as a mark of protest. While efforts have been made by the faculty federations to seek an appointment with the prime minister to explain their opposition to the common exam, the HRD ministry is seeking to engage the faculty members.
In a meeting of alumni members and faculty members on Friday, it was decided to file PILs in courts across the country against the common exam proposal within a week.
“The IIT alumni will file PILs in various high courts within a week. The members felt that efforts should be done to get a hearing at the earliest and demand that the common test be postponed to 2014,” said Somnath Bharti, IIT Delhi alumni association president.
Common test: IIT faculty write to PM
New Delhi: In IIT Kanpur, there is a deep sense of dissatisfaction that the HRD ministry had not heeded the faculty’s concerns before announcing the decision on a common engineering test for central engineering institutions. Therefore, there is a plan to boycott the convocation ceremony on Saturday. A senior faculty member from IIT Kanpur said, “Although all faculty members are upset with the decision, some will attend the convocation because it’s an important occasion for the students.”
All India IIT Faculty Federation secretary A K Mittal said, “People across IITs are concerned and agitated at the ministry’s decision. We have written to the PM opposing the decision and will seek time from him.”
The main points of differences between the faculty members and the ministry include, the weightage given to class XII board exams for shortlisting candidates and the lack of complete control over the IIT exam. There are 15 IITs with about 10,000 seats in the country. At the root of the debate is the elite status of these tech institutes, and clubbing them with IIITs and NIITs is seen as making centres of excellence come down to the level of ordinariness.
HRD ministry sources said that efforts were being to ensure that the matter does not go to the courts. A senior official said, “The ministry has over a period of two years held lengthy consultations and tried to accommodate all the concerns raised by the various stakeholders.” MinistrysourcessaidthattheIITs are geared for conducting exams for 5-6 lakh students but the numbers would increase to 20 lakh with the common test. “We have even said that IITs will be able to direct the agency that conducts the test,” the source said, pointing out that the concerns being raised had been dealt with through several rounds of consultations.
Faculty members from IIT Kanpur are also planning to boycott the institute’s convocation ceremony on Saturday as a mark of protest. While efforts have been made by the faculty federations to seek an appointment with the prime minister to explain their opposition to the common exam, the HRD ministry is seeking to engage the faculty members.
In a meeting of alumni members and faculty members on Friday, it was decided to file PILs in courts across the country against the common exam proposal within a week.
“The IIT alumni will file PILs in various high courts within a week. The members felt that efforts should be done to get a hearing at the earliest and demand that the common test be postponed to 2014,” said Somnath Bharti, IIT Delhi alumni association president.
Common test: IIT faculty write to PM
New Delhi: In IIT Kanpur, there is a deep sense of dissatisfaction that the HRD ministry had not heeded the faculty’s concerns before announcing the decision on a common engineering test for central engineering institutions. Therefore, there is a plan to boycott the convocation ceremony on Saturday. A senior faculty member from IIT Kanpur said, “Although all faculty members are upset with the decision, some will attend the convocation because it’s an important occasion for the students.”
All India IIT Faculty Federation secretary A K Mittal said, “People across IITs are concerned and agitated at the ministry’s decision. We have written to the PM opposing the decision and will seek time from him.”
The main points of differences between the faculty members and the ministry include, the weightage given to class XII board exams for shortlisting candidates and the lack of complete control over the IIT exam. There are 15 IITs with about 10,000 seats in the country. At the root of the debate is the elite status of these tech institutes, and clubbing them with IIITs and NIITs is seen as making centres of excellence come down to the level of ordinariness.
HRD ministry sources said that efforts were being to ensure that the matter does not go to the courts. A senior official said, “The ministry has over a period of two years held lengthy consultations and tried to accommodate all the concerns raised by the various stakeholders.” MinistrysourcessaidthattheIITs are geared for conducting exams for 5-6 lakh students but the numbers would increase to 20 lakh with the common test. “We have even said that IITs will be able to direct the agency that conducts the test,” the source said, pointing out that the concerns being raised had been dealt with through several rounds of consultations.
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