Common Entrance Test can be a KBC

Common Entrance Test can be a KBC

Common Entrance Test abolition upheld

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday upheld the validity of a Tamil Nadu law abolishing common entrance test (CET) for admissions to professional courses.

Aptitude test as prescribed by the Architecture council to continue.

It, however, ruled that aptitude test as prescribed by the Architecture Council shall be conducted for admissions to B. Arch courses.

A division Bench comprising Justices PK Mishra and Sampath Kumar said that the standards in the professional colleges would not be lowered by abolition of CET.

“It cannot be said that the Government’s conclusion that forms the basis for normalisation process is so arbitrary as requiring interference by the court on the ground of being violative of Article 14 of the Constitution,” the Bench observed while dismissing writ petitions from S Aswin Kumar, a student and four others challenging the Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Education in Professional Educational Institutions Act enacted by the State legislature in December.

“While upholding the validity of the impugned statute, we clarify that for admission to architectural courses, aptitude test as prescribed in the regulations (pertaining to architectural council laws) has not been dispensed with,” Justice Misra said.

The judge pointed out that both the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had also argued that the petitions had to be dismissed in view of the TN Act. “It should not be forgetten that the MCI regulations also authorize selection on the basis of qualifying marks.”

Dismissing absolute equality as a myth, the judge said there was an “inherent possibility of ticking some answers more by guess as in the KBC (Kaun Banega crorepati) TV programme rather than by any conscious selection of the right answers.” There would be no objection if a reasonable amount of equality could be achieved by any other method, he added.

On the aptitude test which is in force for architectural courses, Justice Misra said the impugned law has only sought to do away with CET and not the aptitude test.

Common Entrance Test can be a KBC

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