PM's council for examination system overhaul

New Delhi: Terming the entrance examination system in India a "menace", the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (SAC-PM) has recommended a re-look at the entire examination system.

SAC-PM chairman C.N.R. Rao on Wednesday submitted a 10-point checklist covering various issues.

The council suggested reviewing the system of final, entrance, qualifying and selection examinations.

"We have an examination system but not an education system. Examinations have got increasing importance in the last few years and entrance examinations have become a menace. IIT entrance examinations have the reputation of being difficult and purposeful, but they also had a negative effect on young minds," it said.

The council said students suffer so much in an effort to succeed in these entrance examinations, that they lose the excitement in education itself during the process.

"Those who do succeed would have got exhausted and are not able to perform as well as young people with fresh minds. For entrance examinations related to admission to higher education institutions, there should be only one national examination, which should be able to assess the eligibility of the candidates.

"The examination system as well as the reward system seems to have destroyed creativity in young people. We need highly creative and innovative people to take up challenges in science and other subjects and also to tackle problems related to national and global needs," the recommendations said.

Calling for major transformation in the higher education system in the country, the council recommended that India declare higher education as a national mission for the next decade.

"It is necessary for the ministry of human resources development to declare higher education as a national mission for the next decade and designate capable individuals to be in-charge of each important item in the check-list without much delay," it said.

The council said, "What is required is a serious application of mind to these and related issues to ensure that major transformations are brought about in the country that would create a healthier higher education scenario.

It is only when we bring in such a transformation in the higher education that we can hope to meaningfully compete with countries such as South Korea, Singapore and China, the council said. IANS