In another significant move, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have on December 23, 2017 turned down the proposal of the Union government to allow the National Testing Agency (NTA) to hold JEE (Advanced), saying that handing over the responsibility will make little sense as it however would not lessen the burden of the IITs.

“Handing over the entrance test makes little sense as it would not lessen the burden of the IITs. The agency would have had to keep coming back to our faculty to set the question papers,” director of one of the seven older IITs told Indian Express.

“Let’s say, even if the NTA were to take over JEE (Advanced), IITs will not give up the prerogative to send at least one of its teachers to every exam centre to review the choice of centres,” he added.

The decision to turn down the proposal was taken in a meeting of IIT directors on December 15 in Chennai.

Being always protective of their entrance tests, these IITS had, during the UPA-II rule, refused to merge their test with AIEEE (used by the National Institutes of Technology for admission) to make a single common entrance examination for admission to all centrally run engineering institutes

According to reports, the Union Cabinet had on November 10 approved a proposal for the creation of a National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions.

“The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on November 10 has approved the creation of a National Testing Agency (NTA) as a Society registered under the Indian Society Registration Act, 1860, and as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions,” a press release from the PMO had said.

Also read: National Testing Agency will now conduct entrance tests for higher educational institutions