Gujarat backs Centre’s JEE plan,wants papers in Gujarati

The Gujarat government has demanded that all IITs and other Central technical institutions come under the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and asked for the question papers to be available in Gujarati as well. Addressing the State Education Ministers’ Conference and Central Advisory Board of Education held here under the chairmanship of Union Minister for HRD,Kapil Sibal,Gujarat Education Minister Ramanlal Vora said the State will comply with the Ministry of HRD only when IITs are part of the JEE. “The main purpose of removing multiple entrance tests would be lost if IITs are not in the project”,he said. Referring to the RTE Ac t and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan,he said that implementation of elementary education is a joint responsibility of both the Central and the State governments. Currently,states contribute roughly 85% of the expenditure on elementary education,while the Centre shoulders only about 15% of the expenditure.