NEET-like test for engineering courses

​Hyderabad: The Centre is all set to conduct engineering admissions across the country on the lines of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) from 2019-20 academic year. Though the Centre wanted to conduct a national-level test for engineering from the current academic year, it had not materialised for various reasons. 

However, it has been decided that the Centre would hold national-level common admission test for graduate engineering courses from 2019-20. Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari, it is learnt, had directed the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) to constitute a syllabus committee to look into the changes needed to prepare students to face the national-level common engineering entrance.

Srihari said that the national entrance test will be more in line with the syllabus of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). "Every year syllabus of the Intermediate course is revised. However, keeping in view the new development some more changes may be needed to equip students with skills to compete with others in the proposed national common entrance test for engineering," he said.

It was against this backdrop that steps will be taken to revise the syllabus. That part, the State government is already running 26 centres, where nearly 3,000 students are given intensive coaching for NEET and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Following the new changes taking place from the ensuing academic year, it was decided to provide NEET and JEE coaching for the students of the second Intermediate course from the start of the academic year, he said. 

If need be the number of coaching centres would be increased for the benefit of more number of students. However, as it is not possible to provide coaching to everyone, there will be a screening test for admitting students for the coaching of NEET and JEE, he said. Already, the government junior college lectures had voluntarily come forward to provide coaching to the aspiring students. 

The budget allocations would be increased, if needed, to increase the number of centres to take more students. And, the main objective of the entire exercise is to ensure that more number of students from Telangana get admissions in the nationally reputed institutions, he said.