HRD Ministry Asks Council of Architecture (CoA) to Stay Out of Exam Regulations
- HRD Ministry has informed the CoA that it is the government’s decision to decide whether to conduct single entrance exam.
- It also directed CoA to review the proposal of conducting common entrance test from 2018.
The CoA or Council of Architecture might have to withdraw its proposal to make single entrance examination mandatory for the admission to architecture courses in the country. Recently, the HRD Ministry has questioned the authority to take such a decision. HRD Ministry convened a meeting with Council of Architecture (CoA) on July 11, 2017.
President of CoA, Mr. Biswaranjan Nayak revealed that the council is expected only to register the architects and regulate their practice. Maintaining standards in the architecture education were outside of its purview. The HRD Ministry also directed the President of CoA to review the proposal of conducting the common entrance test from 2018 for the admission to architecture courses.
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Earlier, the Executive Committee (EC) of CoA approved a new regulation, i.e., Council of Architecture National Architecture Entrance Examination Regulations 2018. The EC approved the new regulations on May 30, 2017, making a national level entrance examination mandatory for the admission to architecture courses in India and COA is the only authority to conduct the entrance exam. The new regulations also banned all other institutions or universities and agency from conducting an entrance test.
On June 9, 2017, Registrar of CoA, Mr. R Oberoi circulated draft regulations for the approval of the council members. Later, Mr. Oberoi stated that the regulations have been approved by the Executive Council as one of the measures to improve the quality and standards of architecture education in the country. The CoA also shared the copy of draft with HRD Ministry.
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After few days, Mr. Habbeb Khan, Maharashtra’s nominee to CoA and Mr. A.R. Ramanathan, AICTE’s nominee to CoA replied to Oberoi’s letter while objecting the unilateral decision taken by CoA without the consent of council members. The Executive Committee of CoA is a seven-member body that executes the decisions of CoA.
Now, HRD Ministry has informed the CoA that it is the government’s call to decide whether or not to conduct single entrance exam for the admission to architecture courses.