Union Budget 2017: National Testing Service to hold all Higher Education Entrance Exams
Through this initiative, AICTE and CBSE will be freed from the burden of holding entrance exams for various bodies.
Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister, announced that the entrance exams for all higher education institutions like NET, NEET, JEE, CMAT and others would be conducted by a single authority. For this purpose, the government will set up a National Testing Agency to carry out entrance exams. Through this initiative, AICTE and CBSE will be freed from the burden of holding entrance exams for various bodies. The idea of the government is to make CBSE and AICTE concentrate on core competencies.
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He further added that the government would bring reforms in UGC and grant autonomy to higher learning institutes. The government will also introduce annual learning outcome system in schools and will also set up innovation fund for secondary education.
Earlier, the CBSE had written to the University Grants Commission stating that it is becoming tough to hold the entrance exam for various bodies. However, CBSE assured that it would provide technical support to the entrance exams. CBSE also indicated that there is a need to concentrate on core competencies and it is possible only if it is freed from the burden of holding entrance exams for various bodies.
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The idea of National Testing Service came from United States (US) where exams for different bodies are being conducted by Education Testing Service (ETS). Earlier, HRD Ministry had sent a proposal to Cabinet regarding the same, and within a short period, the plan got a nod from the Cabinet. As per sources, National Testing Service may come into effect from July 2017.