Single body for conducting JEE on cards

Education ministers of all states are slated to deliberate next week on the feasibility of having a centralised testing body that would be responsible for conducting JEE, AIEEE, NET, CAT, CMAT and GATE under it and providing candidates an opportunity to sit for a test more than once a year.

The ‘national agency’ for tests will deliver the national-level examinations through a dedicated group of professionals, thereby sparing teachers from the exercise. It will do research for preparing question papers, administer and conduct examinations.

Tests and assessment under the body is likely to become the prerequisite for public and private sector engineering, medical and other colleges, universities and institutions, for admission and recruitment if the proposal passes through.

While the CBSE has prepared a model with objective, structure and functions for the body, the government intends to start in a small way by conducting the UGC-NET exam as early as next year. The proposal would be deliberated at the Central Advisory Board of Education meet to be attended by state education ministers, academicians and others here on 2 April.