Monday 13 August 2018

SCRAPPING OF JEE ADVANCED AND NEW PROPOSALS, AN URGENT ANALYSIS

SCRAPPING OF JEE ADVANCED AND NEW PROPOSALS, AN URGENT ANALYSIS

IITs mull cancelling JEE Advanced, scrapping B.Tech courses
[IITs mull cancelling JEE Advanced, scrapping B.Tech courses |Photo Credit: Representative Image]

IIT Council in its endeavour to revamp the engineering education system in the country is suggesting doing away with JEE Advanced and scrapping B. Tech. programmes from IITs. Another proposal suggests increasing seats to 80000.

https://www.timesnownews.com/education/article/cancelling-jee-advanced-increasing-seats-to-80000-some-proposals-suggested-for-iit-council-august-21-meet/267339

Comments, without any prejudice:
1. Scrapping of JEE Advanced is a very positive step forward by the MHRD for the benefit of all the aspiring students and their parents. The advantages of scrapping this test have already been discussed in my blog:

[http://www.sunilpandeyiitd.org/2015/05/view-point-on-one-nation-one-test.html] 

The slot available now can be taken as the second attempt / chance as has already been decided by the MHRD. CBSE can declare the result of first attempt and give a simultaneous option for taking the second attempt for all those who want to improve the performance, however all the students who have taken the JEE Mains examination will remain eligible to take the second chance.

CBSE will come up with a common composite merit list after considering the better of the two attempts. Admission process starts thereafter.

Scrapping of JEE Advanced will also free up number of faculty members who are responsible for conducting the test but wasted in terms of teaching that was their primary job.

2. There is a need to exercise caution on the proposal of doing away with the B.Tech. courses at IITs. I strongly feel that this step will prove to be a disaster. This will be an end of the quality research and teaching. This step in any case won’t help, instead we must revert to the system which the IITs were following till early 1990s. Progress graph has only shown a decline in quality of research and teaching. It is most important to diagnose the disease carefully rather than starting a treatment with non-conclusive investigations. My gut feeling is that with the present setup, the whole IIT system will become a liability on the Nation in a time to come.

Dynamic undergraduate students are a must for vibrant and active innovative research. Teaching dynamic students helps in improving the quality of teaching and identification of innovative research ideas. These ideas when converted to commercial technology, bring laurels to the institute and the Nation.

3. The proposal of offering semester experience instead of the complete degree to 80,000 students looks very attractive on paper but not in reality. It will do no good to the education. Allowing a semester experience to 80000 students is likely to defeat the objective of doing away with the undergraduate programmes at IITs.

Their orientation, discipline, housing and messing will be another challenge to the respective IIT. Please note that the present setup in IITs hasn’t been able to provide minimum of facilities to the current 10000 students. As a matter of fact this increase to 10000 itself is the main reason for the decline of IITs.

Suggestion / Solution:
The concept of ‘Revamping Engineering Education and Returning Childhood to students’ is very appropriate and MHRD deserves all the appreciation but some more homework is required before childhood could be returned in reality.

Revamping of The quality of Engineering Education must be linked to the GDP and the minimum target figure must be 30% from Manufacturing Sector. This was one the of the main objectives of starting IITs in the country. The onus is on the education system and the present structure of the system followed will never allow this figure to achieve. Revamping is required here. Treatment is required here. Doctors must be educated and experienced to treat this disease which is more dangerous than the Cancer & Diabetes put together. India won’t have World-class Universities until this disease is eradicated on the pattern of Smallpox and Polio.