Patna: Asking union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to reconsider his move to change the existing eligibility criteria for the IIT joint entrance examination, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said the new proposal will discriminate against students with poor socio-economic status.
In a letter faxed to Sibal, Kumar said, "Such proposals will favour students with elite background and discriminate against students with poor socio-economic status. Any examination system should be inclusive. Any change in the existing examination system will have far reaching consequences, which is unwarranted."
Sibal has mooted a new proposal whereby a student will have to secure at least 80 per cent marks in the class 12 Board examinations in stead of 60 per cent currently required to sit for the IIT-JEE.
The Chief Minister said that students from backward regions will be the most affected by the new proposal.
"In the existing system, larger pool of students with different socio-economic background are able to appear in the entrance examination. This explains better performance of students from backward regions in the IIT examination," he added.
"I believe in the growth and development of all sections of the society. The maximum number of people from Bihar pass all exams be it IIT, JNU, Railways or anywhere. It has been seen that many students from Bihar qualify in the IIT entrance exam and the percentile setting is an attempt to stop the talent of Bihar. What is the need of 80 percentile for admission in IIT? What is the need for such a new initiative? I don't see any reason to make this benchmark. I have written a letter aganist this. People sitting in Delhi are trying to stop the people who are moving forward on the basis of their talent and merit. We talk of inclusive growth and work towards exclusive growth to suit their interests sitting in Delhi" — Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar to CNN-IBN
####
Comments
0 comment