WBJEE not to be scrapped, reforms in offing

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, September 6, 2007
The state is not thinking of scrapping the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination but is planning reforms to make the system foolproof. A meeting in this regard will be held on September 11.
After that meeting, the board will sit for another with the government on September 13 to propose reforms in the exam system. The government was toying with the idea of scrapping WBJEE entirely or reforming the exam system after a recent scam concerning the medical JEE was exposed in July. The racket involved candidates clearing the medical entrance by sending dummy candidates instead to take the exam on their behalf.
Following the discovery, higher education minister Sudarsan Roychoudhuri provided the WBJEE board with some time for self-introspection and had announced in the Assembly that a meeting with the board would take place in September. “We want to make the system as foolproof as we can. For this we would not mind if we have to conduct more than one meeting but we will try to do everything by September,” Roychoudhuri said.
“On September 11 we will discuss and decide upon the date for the coming year’s WBJEE and various reforms related to it. Some administrative matters connected to the exam will also be discussed,” said N.R. Banerjea, chairman of WBJEE board. The government will again meet on July 13 to give final shape to the reforms.
The state had earlier shown interest in adopting the Tamil Nadu model, which does not have any JEE exam for engineering and medical admissions and instead decides on the basis of Class XII results. But now the government only wants to adopt certain aspects, which includes its counselling system. The higher education minister had also asked for possible suggestions to reform the WBJEE model. “I have received quiet a number of suggestions. Even today a medical student gave me some suggestions and we will discuss all of them,” Roychoudhuri added.
Among other things to be discussed during the meeting would be the possible scrapping of multiple-choice questions. Many academics have voiced their opinions against it and the government is also having second thoughts of continuing with the system.
Also on the agenda is strengthening invigilation at exam centres and the state also plans to do away with outstation exam centres for better monitoring. This is because the higher education ministry feels many of the dummy candidates were able to take the exam due to poor invigilation.
The ministry is also considering taking fingerprints of WBJEE candidates, to prevent fake candidates and wants the WBJEE board to become strict about photographs used by examinees, since many aspirants that had sent dummies had used blurred photographs.
There would other changes specific to the WBJEE medical exam also. Many MBBS students want the WBJEE board to increase the number of attempts to take the exam in the eligibility criteria and the government will also discuss that during the meeting.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com