IIT Entrance - an outsider's perspective

If one can remember in October 2005, IIT system took decision of making admission to flagship undergraduate programme of Indian Institutes of Technology, only through two consecutive chances of JEE, it was argued by board of directors that it will eradicate the coaching institute hegemony in JEE and will make numbers of students competing for JEE steady.

"We (are) implementing this rule to control the large number of students appearing in JEE and to ruin the coaching industry completely," said one board member in 2005. But, five years of implementation of this plan, total number of student appearing for IIT-JEE has doubled from 2005, and coaching industry made double the turnover in this span.

Initially student opposed this rule, but had to accept it as ‘egoistic’ IIT board took this step, which was not unanimous decision as it had voting done for the said decision, as some administrations and intellectuals were against it.

It would be very important to visit back the time when IIT Board of Directors took a ‘weird’ decision of slashing number of chances once unlimited to only two after 10+2 exam. After implementing this rule, the first result of 2006 was very fascinating. The percentage of successful candidates was more who have taken more than two attempts. ie three or more; does IIT directors believe that those students are duffers?

After result print media reported it as "JEE Ke Rule Ulte Sabit Huye, Students Coaching Aur Exams Dono me Badhe "(Rules of JEE found reversed, students increases in both coaching and in exams).

IIT responded with bring out data on 2007 result as "Sarkari Ankado Ke Mutabik Is Bar First Attempters Ka Success Percentage Jyada Hai” (According to Government figures, success percentage of first attempt student is more). This is obvious though when 70% students are 12th appearing and having only two consecutive attempts available with them.

Question is raised on IIT JEE, is it an exam of talent basis or had it become a notorious chance game. All these matters didn’t satisfy the ego IIT hierarchy, they came up with a plan in Jan 2010-11 that student should have 80% in 12 standard to appear in IIT-JEE. Decisions are made in as if IITs were their personal property.

When seats in IITs didn’t fill, IIT administrators made new formula of ‘extended merit list’ and had claimed that they are using this for filling seats of IISc Bangalore.

One side they(IITs) claim that they made paper easy, but the 'level of difficulty' is same as before.

Once again IITs are preparing to give one more chance for 'poor' JEE preparing students, Is JEE a matter of chance?

This vicious trap of ‘chances’ making students and parents adapted for these unusual pressure, which is anti student. Besides these are so many questions arising and points are endless against this chance game. Now more number of students leave their 10+2 exam for getting better prospects in two consecutive JEE chance once they appear for board exams.

Stressed by this pressure students start preparation for IIT JEE from 9th standard and overload themselves and their parents with added pressure.

I want to know your response, had faxed these things to AAJ TAK, NEWS24 etc but they said that once we start any movement they’ll back us. This is the same mail which is sent to all coaching institutes’ students around the country and two media and student organisations, though response was exceptional from everybody. Everybody asking us of what they need to do in this movement.
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with discussions with Anupam Gupta, Kanpur | edited by this blogger

Elections time all cheer in Afzals, Kasabs, Murugans and Bittas

“Not to make a decision is also an important decision” –P V Narsimha Rao

Government of India is cajoling with system delaying tactics, as clemency plea of Afzal Guru is resting at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Home Ministry which is responsible in putting up the file at Rastrapati Bhawan is using all old Congress style tactics of delaying the decision for political benefit. UP elections are lined up, how can they ever allow such a crucial decision of ‘displeasing’ minority votes. So Afzal shall live, so is Kasab and in the party Madanis and Bittas will also get their reprieve.

I guess, banana republic wouldn’t be any different, going by the examples of Tamil Nadu state assembly resolution on clemency to Rajeev Gandhi assassination convicts, emulating an earlier disgrace for the Union of India by Kerala assembly resolution supporting Madani of Coimbtore bomb blast case, Punjab Chief Minister seeking intervention of PM for pardoning Bitta, a bomb blast accused, which killed 13 people; J&K Chief Minister went on Twitter spree asking would opposition be as muted if Jammu and Kashmir assembly had adopted similar resolution in support of Afzal Guru, had created stiff throughout the nation, later though that resolution introduced by an independent fell in the assembly.

It was in 2005 when issue of clemency to Coimbatore bomb blast accused Madani had come in Kerala state assembly which had passed it unanimously. Later, Tamil Nadu state legislative assembly adopting a unanimous resolution to repeal death penalty of three convicts of Rajeev Gandhi and 19 others murder in a bomb blast and Madras High Court ordering a stay on the death penalty on issues of the fact that it took 14 years to conclude that they be now hanged after sitting on their clemency petitions at Presidents office. And then came Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab who had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan singh urging him to intervene in the clemency petition of the Bitta who is awarded death penalty in case of bomb blast at AICC office which killed 13. So is Sonia Gandhi’s solo decision to ‘pardon’ Nalini, a convict in Rajeev Gandhi and others bomb blast murder case, is astonishing in the same line, since she took decision on other 19 people’s behalf.

In Kerala, it was CPI, CPIM and Congress unanimously resolving to give clemency to Abdul Naseer Madani. In Tamilnadu it is AIDMK, DMK and Again Congress supporting pardon to Murugan and two others in Rajeev Gandhi assassination case. In Punjab, it was SAD leader and Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal writing to PM to intervene in Bitta case and Congress leader Ex CM Amarender Singh singing to same tune.

New Delhi is facing a question of credibility, as examples like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, J&K state legislative assemblies and non-sense talk by State Chief Ministers of Punjab and J&K could trigger a negative feeling about the nation, at large. Matter though lies with the UPA and the Congress whether to have politics of principles or of national interest.