New Delhi, May 30 (ANI): Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal has welcomed the proposed common entrance test for engineering courses from 2013, describing it as a progressive step for XII standard students.

We are making continuous efforts towards it. In the last three years, we have taken several important decisions, including the one taken yesterday of 'One Nation and One Test' in engineering. It is a historic decision in itself, Sibal told media here.

He pointed out that the technical institutions have unanimously taken the decision in favour of common entrance test.

It was a unanimous decision because for the first time in our history, the IIT council, the IIITs as well as the NITs councils sat together and unanimously decided that this must be done, he said

The purpose of it is that school boards and school examinations are not being given enough importance by children. Previously, they were not being given importance. Now, the NIIT system and other centrally funded technical institutions will give admission on a common merit list based on 40 percent weightage from the board exam, 30 percent on the main exam and 30 percent on the advanced exam. Universities and institutions can decide on the manner in which they want to conduct it, he added.

Sibal further said there is a need to discuss the issue with the state governments to fill the vacuum in academics.

We have to think about it in a new way as there is a need of qualified teachers. The state governments have to decide about whom to recruit for the post of teachers and what will be their salary. The quality of teachers recruited will have an impact on the education of the children. There is a need to change the ongoing process. We will have a discussion with the state governments on the issue, Sibal stated.

The new system, which will replace the JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) for the IITs and the AIEEE (All India Engineering Entrance Examination) recognised by the NITs and IIITs, will feature a main test and an advance test, which will be given weightage along with the school results.

While the NITs and the IIITs will implement the process from 2012, the IITs will initially select the top 50,000 students for their advance tests, making a transition to the full process by 2015.

At the pinnacle of its vast system of engineering and technology colleges, India boasts of sixteen IITs, thirty NITs, and five IIITs coveted institutions, which see hundreds of thousands of students vying for limited seats on offer every year. (ANI)