15 PC More Clear JEE In Maiden Bid

New Delhi, Jun 29 (UNI) The number of candidates clearing the Human Resource Development Ministry's new Joint Entrance Examination 2006 in their maiden attempt rose by 15 per cent, it was announced today.

The JEE is conducted annually for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology and a few other technical institutions.

As many as 2,99,288 candidates registered this year-- 50 per cent more than last year-- including 58,997 women candidates-- a cent per increase over last year, an HRD statement said.

As many as 6,343 of them qualified, almost a third of them-- some 2,000-- hailing from India's towns and villages.

For 43.5 per cent of them this was their first attempt, a jump from 28.49 per cent in JEE-2005. Those who succeeded in their first attempt were 16-to-19 years old, the statement said.

The Ministry this year halved the fee for women candidates, which helped increase their participation, the statement said.

The reforms took into account candidates' school results and did away with a screening test-- considerably'' reducing dependence on coaching classes, which are scarce in smaller towns.

The statement said several candidates and parents who came for counselling reported that the single stage system drastically reduced the stress levels as compared to the past.

The move made the admission process ''more equitable, merit based and accessible to students from small towns and rural areas.'' Last year, HRD Minister Arjun Singh had convened a meeting of eminent educationists to find consensual ways of dealing with high stress level among students taking Board and Entrance tests.

A Special Task Force was set up to evaluate the IIT-JEE process and its findings were deliberated upon by a Standing Committee of the IIT Council chaired by Prof CNR Rao which recommended reforms in JEE-2006.

The reforms: -- The JEE was made an objective type examination. The screening test was done away with; -- School results were factored into admission process for the IITs, confining eligibility to students who secure a first class or equivalent in the 10+2 examination; -- Marks requirements were relaxed by five per cent for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; -- A student can write JEE in the year he or she passes the 12th Board examination as well as in the following year; -- Those who join any of the IITs not to be allowed to take the JEE again; -- A one time exception was made for students who took their qualifying examination in 2005 or earlier.

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