HRD Minister Javadekar puts plan for common engineering entrance exam on hold

HRD Minister Javadekar puts plan for common engineering entrance exam on hold

NEW DELHI: The Human Resource Development(HRD) Ministry has put on hold a move for a single entrance test for engineering courses across the country till states reach a consensus.

The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), the regulator for technical education in the country, had announced in March that a national-level common entrance examination for engineering colleges would be conducted from the next academic year in 2018.

But with the move being opposed by the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu governments, the HRD ministry felt that the states had to be first taken on board.

"It is important to have consensus on the introduction of a common exam. So the plan has been put on hold for now," an official said on condition of anonymity.