New Delhi: In a move that's likely to further stress out students, a committee of vicechancellors has proposed a common entrance test for admission into undergraduate and post-graduate courses being offered by all the central university colleges and institutions. 

    Result of this test, being justified as an aptitude test, will be factored in over and above the school board results to determine admission into university. The committee has proposed that the weightage of school results and the common test will be fixed by individual university. 

    Funnily, there hasn't been a problem yet with the current system. So apart from trying to fix something that ain't broke, the committee's proposal will be layering the burden of students with yet another exam. The proposal has the backing of HRD minister Kapil Sibal and, therefore, stands a good chance of going through. 

    If implemented, the proposed system will lead to the emergence of a formal hierarchy of central universities. It will also lead to the junking of highly successful subject-based entrance system of universities like JNU. 

    HRD minister Kapil Sibal thinks it's a good idea, although he maintains that the proposal will be further finetuned and wider consultation will take place and universities will have the freedom to take it or leave it. In another two months, the committee headed by JNU V-C B B Bhattacharya will give its report. 

    "Aptitude test is a good idea. It will prepare a child for the real world and destress him from so many entrance tests," Sibal said. Fifteen new central universities already have a common entrance test but these do not have undergraduate courses. 

    Delhi University, already facing a strike by teachers against semester system, will also face problems since more than 60 affiliated colleges have their own autonomous system of admission based on class XII marks. 

    However, DU has a common entrance test for admission to English honours. The common entrance test will have enough exceptions. For instance, colleges like St Stephen's will be out of the common entrance test on the ground that it is a minority institution and so will AMU. Even Jamia Milia Islamia will be allowed to retain its unique scheme of reserving 25% seats to children who come out of its schools. 

    One of the V-Cs who attended the meeting said, "The proposal runs counter to the current focus on destressing students. In case of IITs and other engineering colleges, the ministry is trying to emphasise on class XII results and in case of central universities class XII marks is not enough. It is bound to be opposed. Children from all over the country come to these institutions with good marks and get admission. A common entrance test might create a new barrier."