IIT alumni write to PM, Sibal claims senates’ nod

A section of the IIT alumni wrote to PM Manmohan Singh on Tuesday 5th June opposing the common IIT-JEE exam from next year even as the government said that facts were being misrepresented. Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal said that the decision had been taken by the joint council of the IITs, NITs and IIITs and had the support of four of the seven IIT senates. Sibal said that he had categorically said at the IIT council meeting that if “there is a single dissent” he will not go ahead with the proposal. “The council consists of the IITs, the IIITs and the NITs. There was not a single dissent. It was unanimously adopted. Therefore, I went forward,” the minister said. “I had also said the views of the senate would be taken into account. And will not move forward till their views are taken into account. Their views were taken into account,” he said. Last week, Sibal had said that from 2013, aspiring candidates for IITs and other central institutes like NITs and IIITs will have to sit under new a format of common entrance test which will take plus two board results into consideration. This was not a government decision and all directors of IIT, NIT, and IIIT sitting together said that “this was a right decision”, Sibal said. “There is a statute. Under the statute, there is a council. And a decision is taken under the statute by the council. I, as the minister, happened to be the chairman of the council,” he said. Sibal said out of seven, four senates agreed to the decision. Senates points were taken into account. “Guwahati, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkie were the four supporters of it. Incidentally, as far as Bombay is concerned, they also supported,” he said. IIT Delhi and Kanpur are opposed to the move. Incidentally, over 50 senate members from IIT Delhi have written to their director asking for a special meeting. Confirming this All India IIT faculty federation secretary Prof A K Mittal said, “A meeting is likely to be held in the 15-20 days.’’