Maharashtra,Gujarat and AP to adopt JEE in 2013: Mantha

Talking about the initial opposition to the single entrance exam,he said,“We understand the concerns of students,teachers and parents. Students are worried that if they are unable to perform well on that particular day owing to ill health or other reasons,they might end up losing an entire academic year. To solve this problem,we’re currently looking at the possibility of conducting two exams a year along the lines of the Common Management Aptitude Test (CMAT).”

Mantha said over 300 new vocational training institutes are likely to come up in the country if they are approved by the AICTE. “We have received proposals from 300 colleges so far and are going through them. The idea is to establish seven certificate levels in vocational education with multiple entry and exit points. The courses are expected to start in August with 500 seats in each college. Students from class IX onwards can apply for these courses and depending on their interest can either continue in the vocational stream and get graduate degrees or drop out and join mainstream courses,” he said.

The first two levels can be completed in class IX-X,levels three-four can be completed in junior college. Levels three,four and five can also be done in polytechnic institutions to get a vocational diploma. Levels six and seven will be advanced diplomas. Alternatively,five,six and seven levels can also be done in universities.