Too many entrance exams may not be the right way to evaluate a student's merit level. Vishakha Sharma reports on the recent changes in the admission criteria for medical and engineering colleges
While there have been recent developments in undergraduate admissions at Delhi University (DU) for a Bachelor of medicine, Bachelor of surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of dental surgery (BDS), a proposal for a change in admission criteria to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other engineering colleges will require class XII students to focus more on the board exams.
From now on, admission to Delhi University's (DU) medical and dental colleges will be on the basis of one's rank in the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT). Thus, only students appearing for AIPMT 2012 will be eligible to apply to DU colleges - Lady Hardinge Medical College, Maulana Azad Medical College and University College of Medical Sciences - for medicine, and the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences for dentistry.
According to Dinesh Singh, vice-chancellor , DU, the decision to scrap the undergraduate entrance examination for MBBS and BDS at DU will act as a relief for students. "We have also written a letter to Vineet Joshi, chairman, CBSE, in this regard," he says.
The AIPMT which will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will have a preliminary round on April 1 followed by the final round on May 13.
Joshi says, "We have no objection if DU wishes to admit students into its MBBS and BDS colleges based on AIPMT scores, but the university will have to take permission from the Supreme Court for the same."
The second development is regarding the IITs and other engineering institutes in the country proposing that 40% weightage be given to class XII board exams for admissions to engineering colleges. It has been recommended by the T Ramasami committee, which is working for an all new Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) where the entry of students into IITs or any other engineering institute will be based on one single test along with a specified 40% weightage on what one scores in class XII.
According to an IIT-Delhi official, these recommendations were originally made so that students do not neglect classroom learning and stop depending on coaching classes. This recommendation is also for those families who cannot afford to send their children to coaching classes. As of now, no formal decision has been taken, but will be implemented after the approval of the MHRD.
Joshi adds, "Giving specific weightage to class XII scores for admission into engineering colleges will make students attend their classes regularly and fare well in the board exams."
However, a class XII student says, "Changing the JEE pattern at the last moment is unfair for all those students who have been preparing for it since the last two years. If a new system is adopted now, students preparing for IITs will suffer. This decision should have been taken much earlier."
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
