Are enterance test essential today

Answer 1

Graduation in India has basically been encouraged with a view to create an educated, English-speaking workforce, which is especially crucial to service industries like banking, finance, software, etc. Introducing entrance exams at the graduate level will, no doubt, increase the average intellectual capability of students in a batch. It would also make life easier for teachers who have to deal mainly with students who can understand concepts faster and easier. In addition to that, it will benefit institutions that will be able to project a better pass per cent rate and first class percentage.

However, the social dimensions of this step have to be considered very carefully before implementing it. It is the college environment, that helps students experience the demands of life. If this phase of life is now restricted to a few, what about the others?

However, the state government's decision to introduce a common entrance exam for courses of BA and BCom does have its pros. It would introduce an element of transparency in the whole process of admission so that meritorious students (especially financially weaker sections) can compete with everyone.

To tackle the multiplicity of subjects, relevant tests can be designed for different subjects and combinations. But entrance exams are not required or are necessary for all streams. There are some streams in BSc or BA that should be exempted from these tests, as weaker students (who may not be able to pass these exams) should also be given a chance to complete their graduation. That's the whole essence of graduation as the students who are really ambitious and highly intellectual generally end up pursuing professional courses, though of course, exceptions occur.

You cannot assess the true intellectual capacity of any student by providing only multiple choice questions, which common entrance tests usually consist of. There are various reasons why students want to pursue a BSc/BA degree - academic fulfilment, a long-term career in a particular field, research (especially in pure sciences), job opportunities, etc.

A common entrance exam would at a macro level, enhance the workforce in the years to come. But it must be done in a staggered fashion, for selective courses, rather than with a sudden shift.