HRD Ministry Likely to Introduce Single National-Level Engineering Entrance Exam

Currently, JEE (Mains) is one of the most sought after engineering entrance exam for all admissions to various courses in the field. The examination is conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on behalf of HRD Ministry. The qualified candidates are given admission in various engineering colleges according to their merit performance.

Also read: -JEE (Mains) 2017 Offline Exam to be Held on April 2, 2017

JEE (Mains) is an entrance examination conducted to enroll candidates in National Institutes of Technolgy (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and Government Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs). On the other hand, JEE (Advanced) is an entrance examination conducted for admissions in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). However, there are also other hundreds of entrance examinations carried out by various deemed and private universities, and at the state level, for admissions to engineering courses.

Also read: - JEE (Advanced) 2017: Eligibility Criteria and Examination Schedule

Currently, HRD Ministry is planning to scrap all the engineering entrance examinations. Instead, the ministry is planning to conduct a single national-level entrance examination. In the year 2012, the Centre planned to introduce a single national level exam for the admission to engineering courses. However, the plan was not implemented due to various reasons. A standing committee has recommended that JEE (Mains) can be replaced by Engineering Aptitude Test to eradicate all the confusions so that it would be easier for candidates.

As of now, the proposal for a single national-level entrance test is yet to be reviewed and discussed, and it could take time. The proposal is quite similar to that of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) which was administered for all medical and dental admissions.