IIT Directors to meet tomorrow to discuss exam row

The meeting of the IIT Joint Admission Board, comprising Directors of these institutions, is taking place ahead of the June 27 meeting convened by the government of IIT Council, the highest decision-making body headed by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and including Directors of all the 16 IITs.

The controversy has led to uncertainty among the student community as IITs have been divided, with at least two of them -- Delhi and Kanpur -- rejecting the government proposal and deciding to have a separate exam.

The Board will discuss implications of the government's May 28 announcement under which aspiring candidates for IITs and other central institutes like NITs and IIITs will have to sit from 2013 under a new format of common entrance test which will also take plus-two board results into consideration.

The Board is also expected to deliberate upon the simmering discontent among the faculty of the IITs over the government's move, sources said.

The meeting takes place against the backdrop of IIT Delhi and Kanpur rejecting the government proposal and deciding to have separate exam. There are indications that IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur may follow their Delhi and Kanpur counterparts.

Tomorrow's meeting assumes significance as it will precede the special meeting of IIT Council called to deliberate on the controversy.

The IIT Council will discuss the situation created by the divisions among the elite educational institutions by the government proposal and the future course of action to end uncertainty among the student community, sources said. (MORE)