Common test: IIT-D to decide response to govt's move tomorrow

IIT Kanpur had recently decided to conduct its own entrance test, terming as "academically and methodically unsound" the May 28 decision of the IIT Council to hold the single entrance test.

IIT Faculty and the alumni have been opposing the move tooth and nail, demanding that the new system should not be implemented before 2014.

They contend implementing the new system from 2013 will put a lot of pressure on students already in midst of preparing for the IIT-JEE next year.

The government is likely to ask the joint admission board of the IITs soon to prepare the modalities for conducting the advanced test under the proposed common entrance exam. Sources also said that the senates of IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur held internal meetings today about the proposed exam and possible alternatives in the two-tier test.

The meeting of the IIT Delhi senate comes even as HRD Minister Kapil Sibal reiterated that there was no going back from holding the single entrance test from next year.

"This is not my decision (on holding the single entrance test). This is a decision of the IIT council which is a statutory authority under the IIT Act. The IITs have by and large accepted this decision," Sibal told CNN-IBN when asked if he was considering going back on the decision in face of opposition from IIT faculty and alumni to the test. (MORE)