Bengaluru: The Union Government is expected to replace hundreds of engineering and architecture admissions tests, conducted by various government agencies and private consortiums across the nation, with a single admission test from the academic year 2018-19.
According to the sources in the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), a proposal in this regard is under the consideration.
As per the plans, the Central Government wants to set up an independent board to hold a national level admission test for all the engineering colleges, except IITs. This board will also be authorised to hold NEET UG for the admissions to medical and dental courses across the country.
The Board will prepare the state and all-India level merit list. However, the states will be entrusted with the responsibility of filling the seats as per their reservation policy. Private consortiums like COMEDK will also be allowed to fill up their seats based on the merit list prepared by the board.
A MHRD official told this newspaper that currently several consortiums, many private universities were holding separate admission tests for the engineering and architecture courses.
“NEET UG has brought tremendous changes in the medical and dental admissions this year. We have been able to destroy the seat blocking mafia and malpractices in the admission tests through NEET UG. The proposed single engineering admission test will also ensure total transparency in the technical education field, besides allowing the students to prepare well for a single test,” he said.
Independent board planned According to the sources after getting feedback from the CBSE officials that they were over burdened with holding admission tests, MHRD is contemplating setting up of an independent body to conduct these tests.
