Tough while it lasted, IIT JEE will be missed

By Madiha Jawed

IIT-JEE, the much talked about Joint Entrance Exams for admission to the IITs is expected to be scrapped. The exam which coincides with the IIT Act of 1961 began its life as the Common Entrance Exam (CEE). The idea behind crafting the very exam was to remove the disparity and assess the intricate knowledge of students. It aimed to weed out mediocre talent and pick only those individuals who could solve the toughest questions like a walk in the park. JEE's questions were designed to test the intellectual side of the candidate.

Those who have already lived through the experience believe that it is the best examination for testing the intricate knowledge of students. Professor Jayant Beluga, who was in the top 50 when he took the exam in 1965 said "It didn't matter where you came from; to clear the JEE you had to be good".

Brilliant tutorials were one of the postal coaching classes that were established to assist students in their preparations before taking the IIT-JEE. Shortly, various coaching towns like Kota in Rajasthan came up as most state boards did not equip the students enough to meet the arduous demands of the JEE. "I had made a decision that I will not play [cricket] and not think about girls. We are all away from home. All days were very busy with the coaching and homework" said Lalit Goel, an IIT Bombay alumnus, and top 50 ranker in the JEE.

However, It was the faculty of JEE that made it click. Nitin Srivastava, co-founder & CEO, Mindworks Global Media Services, and an alumnus of IIT Kanpur believes that the JEE faculty was absolutely world class. He said "I remember my mechanics professor telling me that they weren't here to teach us a topic, but rather a way of thinking about problems. That's what makes the IITs special. The JEE is just the start". (Read more)

If there is the Dakar Rally in motor rallying or the Ironman Triathlon in athleticism, then IIT-JEE can certainly be added to this list as it pushes the mind and the body to the extent possible. Many believe that IIT-JEE would rank among the toughest three examinations in the world!

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