SC allows IRMA to conduct its own entrance test

In a major relief to the Institute of Rural Management, (IRMA), Anand, and thousands of candidates set to appear for its entrance test scheduled on next Sunday, November 11, for the 2013-15 batch, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the institute to conduct its test separately for this year.

IRMA has hailed the decision. IRMA director Prof Jeemol Unni said all the efforts would now be directed towards successfully organizing the test.

While clarifying that the permission was given keeping in mind the extra-ordinary circumstances and it will not act as a precedent for IRMA or any other institution, the apex court asked the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to consider having an all-India common entrance test for all institutes offering post-graduate rural management courses.

Having regard to the facts and that substantial progress has been made for conducting the exam for PGDM course and further that the exam is scheduled for November 11, we permit the petitioner to hold the admission exam as already fixed, ordered a bench comprising justices R M Lodha and A R Dave.

Observing students interests had to be paramount in matters relating to admissions and entrance tests, the bench found favour with a proposition that the AICTE should design a common entrance test for all such institutes offering rural management courses.

Advocate Harish Salve, who appeared for IRMA, had requested the court to allow it have a separate entrance test at least for this year and that the AICTE should consider designing a separate common entrance test for rural management courses. Appearing for the AICTE, advocate Rakesh Dwivedi submitted that they were not averse to any fresh idea and that the AICTE will consider the suggestion.

The bench will now take up the matter after six weeks.

IRMA last month filed a petition against the AICTE, which had asked B-schools to consider scores of any of the five exams -- Common Admission Test (CAT), Xavier Admission Test (XAT), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT, which has replaced Common Entrance Test in most states), AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA) and Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT which technically replaced Joint Management Entrance Test) for admission.

As per IRMAs website, the admission test will be conducted in 27 centers across India. The written test will be of 200 marks comprising four sections: analytical reasoning (60 marks), quantitative ability (50 marks), English comprehension (50 marks), and issues of social concern (40 marks).