IITs agree to get accredited; JEE format to continue
After dilly-dallying for years, IITs have agreed to get themselves accredited by the National Board of Accreditation(NBA), the premier accreditation body in the country. However, considering their high academic standards, IITs have been given the freedom to carry out the review themselves and submit the report to NBA.
IITs have also been asked to work towards reinforcing the brand so that it has better chances of making it to prestigious 'QS Ranking'of best institutions. IITs have also decided to continue with this year's format of JEE(advanced) test without any change.
Talking to reporters at the end of the IIT Council meetingon Monday, HRD minister M M Pallam Rajusaid IITs agreeing for accreditation would help India become a part of the Washington Accord, an international agreement among accrediting agencies of 14 nations that recognizes engineering degree programmes of each other.
India is now a provisional member of the Washington Accord. One of the main criteria for any country to be part of the Accord is that its engineering degrees should be accredited. So far, IITs were lukewarm towards fulfilling this condition.
Raju said, "IIT directors felt that the annual review they subject themselves to will be enough and in line with the Washington Accord." The minister had to face a volley of questions as to why an exception was being made for IITs and would it mean other engineering institutions also seek similar internal assessment instead of the one done by the NBA. Education secretary Ashok Thakur said, " IITs proposalwould be now taken to the NBA."
IITs have also been asked to work towards reinforcing the brand so that it has better chances of making it to prestigious 'QS Ranking'of best institutions. IITs have also decided to continue with this year's format of JEE(advanced) test without any change.
Talking to reporters at the end of the IIT Council meetingon Monday, HRD minister M M Pallam Rajusaid IITs agreeing for accreditation would help India become a part of the Washington Accord, an international agreement among accrediting agencies of 14 nations that recognizes engineering degree programmes of each other.
India is now a provisional member of the Washington Accord. One of the main criteria for any country to be part of the Accord is that its engineering degrees should be accredited. So far, IITs were lukewarm towards fulfilling this condition.
Raju said, "IIT directors felt that the annual review they subject themselves to will be enough and in line with the Washington Accord." The minister had to face a volley of questions as to why an exception was being made for IITs and would it mean other engineering institutions also seek similar internal assessment instead of the one done by the NBA. Education secretary Ashok Thakur said, " IITs proposalwould be now taken to the NBA."
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