A test is round the corner. A week’s worth of tenacity will be tested again. Six hours of extreme concentration and 18 hours of patience to welcome a new score card bearing numbers claiming unbeatable accuracy in recognizing the stand a student has for the competitive examinations is in question.

The only visibly gaping fault in the system of entrance examinations: there is no system (as of now).

The most recent improvement being, Mr Manmohan Singh gently asserting that the Autonomy of the IITs shall be preserved.

Does that mean that IITs will have their way of retaining the JEE? Or does that mean that they can retain their autonomy but will still have to participate in Common Entrance Test? And anyways, does Mr Singh have any say over the HRD Minister?

The Coaching Classes have already changed their pattern to conform with the new development. The Distance Learning Institutes have started sending “Target- ISEET” [Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test] modules with revised practice exercises.

The classroom sessions include a ten minutes guidance talk regarding the confusion in changing regulations. Doubts creep in every mind as even the educator incessantly tries to get a grip on his failing knowledge.

Schools are suddenly so important. The Coaching Institute’s director provides an assurance that they cover the basic fundamentals required for clearing the ultimate board examinations. But how can the educators be trusted when all they’ve taught in their life is: tricks and tips for quickest answer arrival methods without caring for a written explanation of the same.

Between this chaos Mr Manmohan Singh expresses that his team will talk to the HRD Minister and insist that the changes be in effect only after 2013. The daily timetable is shattered. The belief in oneself is on it’s way to reformation as parents are, if possible, more fear stricken than already.

Around 11 lakhs students appeared for AIEEE and 5 lakhs appeared for IIT-JEE in 2012. The number, inadvertently, raises every year. So it can be inferred that the decision affects at least 11 lakhs people approximately, plus their families (which is an uncountable number!).

A decision of such magnitude and students get to play no role whatsoever except of allowing themselves to be steered towards the unknown.

They can just hope that the changes really do take place after 2013 so that the batch entering 11th grade can challenge themselves according to the revised patterns and be mentally prepared to be the first batch in history to face the change.

It’ll be interesting to see how it works out.