COIMBATORE: The proposal to introduce the Indian Science-Engineering Entrance Test (ISEET) from 2013 has been driven by a need to relieve the students of the burden of appearing for multiple entrance examinations. In recent years, three expert committees — headed by IIT Madras Deputy Director V G Idichandy, former AICTE Chairman Damodar Acharya and Department of Science and Technology Secretary T Ramasami — had pitched in for a common entrance test for engineering admissions. While initially the country had only the Jo-int Entrance Examination for admission into the premier IITs, by 90s institutions, including NITs, technical universities and deemed universities, began conducting separate entrance examinations. “This resulted in an explosive growth in the number of entrance examinations with students in their desperation attempting multiple examinations with differing syllabi. The multiplicity of entrance examinations in the country came to be associated with multiple unfair practices, such as coaching industry, students shunning regular classroom teaching and sometimes questionable credibility of the process of examination itself,” the HRD Ministry argued in its agenda note supporting ISEET. Since most entrance examinations are conducted in a neck-to-neck schedule, “the students have to perforce restrict their choice of institutions...” The proposed ISEET, which would be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education, is expected to serve as a single window gateway to premier engineering colleges. The ISEET would comprise two parts. The first, an objective test, would test comprehension, critical thinking and logical reasoning. The second test problem solving abilities on basic science subjects. The common eligibility test would provide thr-ee scores - aptitude score or Main, Advanced score and the equivalent score of the board examination. The wei-ghtage to be given to each of these scores will be decided by academic institutions or State Government. “For admission into engineering courses, the students’ performance in the school board examination will also be taken into account which will not be less than 40 per cent of the scores in addition to their scores in the ISEET,” a HRD Ministry official said. The ministry has also said, “Introduction of the ISEET will not curtail the autonomy of universities or institutions and the States to structure their own admission process. But, it provides for a standardised frame of reference for evaluation...”
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