“Idea has not been completely discarded: HRD Ministry
The human resource development (HRD) ministry has decided to junk the plan of introducing a common engineering entrance exam from next year.
WHY WAS CEE JUNKED
The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) had announced in March that a national-level common entrance examination (CEE) for engineering colleges would be conducted from the next academic year in 2018. AICTE is the country’s technical education regulating body.
However, the ministry has decided to put the CEE idea on hold. HRD ministry has made this move for reviewing the success of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) before moving ahead. NEET is the common or joint entrance exam held nationwide for admission to medical colleges. It is noteworthy here that NEET has faced a lot of flak and protests from students across India.
“It has been decided that there will be no common engineering exam next year. However, the idea has not been completely discarded. The AICTE will submit a report about the feasibility of conducting the exam in future,” a senior official said.
Taking a cue from NEET introduced last year, the HRD ministry had initiated steps for a common test for admission to engineering courses.
ENGINEERING ADMISSION STATISTICS
–The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts Joint Entrance Examination (Mains) for admission to engineering courses
–Over 11 lakh students appear for this JEE every year
–A number of states conduct their own tests towards seats in their state-held colleges
—Some colleges grant admission to engineering courses based on marks of the Class 12 board exams
–Several private colleges also conduct their own entrance examinations
–There are over 3,300 approved engineering colleges in the country affiliated with universities
–There is an annual intake of around 16 lakh students for engineering in the country as per the last data
