IIT faculty federation to meet PM on common test row

come out in the meeting to protect the IIT s’ independent academic entity. They have also sought a separate audience with the Prime Minister.

The meeting assumes significance in the wake of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal virtually ruling out going back on the Centre’s new proposal.

Opposing the Centre’s new format,the AI IIT FF had written to the Prime Minister on May 31 saying that “each IIT is an individual and independent academic entity and should reserve its right to follow its own norms with regards to admissions and other academic matter”.

Seeking Prime Minister’s intervention,they had said the IIT system should be preserved not only as per the provisions of the Acts but beyond.

Sibal,who is currently on a visit to the US,has said the government has no intent to impinge on the autonomy of the IIT s.

The Government had on May 28 announced that from 2013,aspiring candidates for IIT s and other central institutes like NITs and I IIT s will have to sit under a new format of common entrance test,which will also take the plus-two board results into consideration.

Sibal had claimed that it was approved without dissent at a council consisting of the IIT s,the I IIT s and the NITs.