'Decision to hold common engg test is breach of trust'

"For students aspiring to appear in JEE 2013, the IIT Council proposal is a breach of trust. Both the processes and content of the new examination will not be clear to them any time soon because work on details has not even been initiated. In no case should any new system be introduced before 2014," the federation said in a statement.

The proposal to hold the common test under the new format was cleared at a meeting of the Councils of IITs, NITs and IIITs on May 28 chaired by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

"The examination announced by the HRD Ministry is a unilateral decision of IIT Council against the advice and decisions of IIT-Kanpur Senate, which has the prerogative of deciding its admission criteria," the statement said.

It said the format announced is a "piecemeal patch-work" with "serious academic and organisational lacunae" in each of the components of the test. "It has the potential of becoming a national disaster if not opposed by all stakeholders at this stage."

The federation said while a large number of admission tests is certainly undesirable, a single test on the other hand would be more harmful as it is likely to lead to much more stress, and it can become unfair to a large number of students because of contingent uncertainties.

The IIT Alumni Association has already decided to move court against the decision. (More)