JEE, NEET exams under review: Centre to study if difficulty matches Class 12 syllabus

NEW DELHI: The Centre is mulling a review of the difficulty level of entrance exams like JEE and NEET to ensure it is in sync with the Class 12 curriculum difficulty level and that students do not have to depend on coaching, according to sources. The review will be conducted on the basis of the feedback from an expert panel set up to examine issues related to coaching.

"The panel is analysing data to study if the difficulty level of JEE, NEET entrance exams is in sync with the difficulty level of class 12 curriculum, which is the basis of these exams. Some parents and faculty members of coaching institutions feel that there is a mismatch between the two, which ultimately increases dependence on coaching ," a source said.

"Based on the panel's feedback, it will be considered to review the difficulty level of these entrance exams ( JEE Mains and NEET)," the source added.

In June, the Ministry of Education set up a nine-member panel to examine issues related to coaching, emergence of 'dummy schools' as well as effectiveness and fairness of entrance examinations.

The panel headed by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi will suggest measures to reduce the dependency of students on coaching centres for transition to higher education.

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"The committee is examining the gaps in the current schooling system that contribute to students' reliance on coaching centres, particularly the limited focus on critical thinking, logical reasoning, analytical skills and innovation and the prevalence of rote learning practices," the source said.

Evaluating the awareness levels among students and parents regarding multiple career pathways and the impact of this lack of awareness on the over-dependence on a few elite institutions, assessing the availability and effectiveness of career counselling services in schools and colleges, and suggesting measures for strengthening career guidance frameworks, are among other terms of reference of the committee.

Members of the panel include the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) chairman; joint secretaries from school education and higher education departments; representatives of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy, IIT Kanpur and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT); and principals of schools (one each from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya and a private school).

Coaching centres in the country have been at the centre of several controversies and the move comes following complaints received by the government about rising cases of student suicides, fire incidents and lack of facilities in coaching institutes as well as teaching methodologies adopted by them.