New Delhi: Criticising the fee hike and changes in admission process for selection to IITs, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said such policy decisions need to be deliberated by various stakeholders including academicians and students.

“How are these policies formed without any discussion? All of a sudden fee is hiked. There should be discussion on it as to how much government and students are bearing and how much more is needed and whether fee should be increased,” he said.

The annual fee for undergraduate courses in IITs has been hiked from existing Rs 90,000 to Rs two lakh from upcoming academic session, by the HRD Ministry on the basis of recommendations of an IIT panel. Sisodia also questioned the evaluation of students merely on the basis of entrance examination, adding, “overall performance” should be a basis for such judgements. The HRD Ministry based on the recommendations of the committee set up by IIT Council has also changed Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) pattern whereby class XII marks will not be considered in determining rankings for admissions to IITs from 2017. “Assessment of students merely on the basis of entrance test is not a good policy. I believe academicians, students, those studying in IIT should be consulted in such decisions,” Sisodia said. With regard to discontinuation of teachers employed by Delhi government under ‘Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan’, he sympathesised with them and ensured that they would be allowed to serve as guest teachers. “As per the policy of government of India, the salaries of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan will be stopped since we have started recruitment process on vacant posts of teachers. So they can not serve under SSA and I appeal them to serve as guest teachers,” he said. — PTI