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Garima Singh
Days after the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry announced the decision to go digital for competitive exams such as JEE (Main), the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and UGC (NET), most industry experts have hailed the decision.
“It’s a welcome move. This is expected to bring some parity in the exams. However, the exam scope is going to get bigger; arrangements have to be made for more computers to conduct the exams. It is expected to bring better transparency,” said DK Batra, Professor at Indian Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi.
“It is a good move as it is digitally verifiable and will also create a database,” said Mohandas Pai, President, All-India Management Association (AIMA).
Computer proficiency
Meanwhile, a certain section is also apprehensive that this system would favour students who have easy access to computers.
“Competitive exams favour urban students and I think it’s a retrograde step. The idea should be to check if the students are proficient in the subject instead of how efficient they are with the computer. Having said that, the step will offer a level playing field to the students as it will ensure a leak-proof exam,” said an IIT professor who did not wish to be named.
R Subramanyam, Secretary, Higher Education, said, “It has got nothing to do with computers. it’s about answering questions. Earlier, the candidates used to circle the correct answer and now they will have to click on it. Everything else remains the same. In the days to come, we can also introduce regional languages.”
Testing agency
Last week, the HRD Ministry announced that from next year, JEE (Main), NEET and the UGC (NET) exams, which were earlier conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), will be held by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The other two exams that the newly-formed agency will conduct are the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) and the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT), now conducted by All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
“The CBSE and AICTE’s core job is not to conduct exams. They were doing it since there was no agency to do so,” said Subramanyam.
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