Contradictory information on GATE puts IIT Kharagpur in a dock.

Hindustan Times:Chetan Chauhan:New Delhi:Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In an embarrassment, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur whether it admits students for masters in technology (M Tech) on basis of Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). The GATE brochure says that IITs admits students for M Tech on basis of the test score but the IIT, Kharagpur denied it in a reply to a RTI applicant.

The GATE test is conducted by IITs for post graduate admissions. On Sunday, thousands of students from across India will be appearing for the examination.

This contradictory position was brought before the information commission this week.

Rajiv Kumar, the RTI applicant, had sought information from IIT, Kharagpur regarding students called for interview on basis of GATE score in August 2010. The institute a month later, told him that no students in IITs were admitted on basis of the test score. The same was reiterated in a reply to first appeal filed by Kumar.

He then filed a complaint with the CIC claiming that the information provided was misleading and incorrect. He also attached a brochure of GATE examination stating that admissions in all IITs and Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, admit student for masters on basis of the test result.

Information Commissioner Deepak Sandhu asked the question raised by Kumar with public information officer of IIT, Kharagpur, A Patro, who claimed that the information was correct. He also told the commission that the information was provided to him by PKG Mohapatra, Dean, Post Graduate Studies, of the IIT.

Kumar, a professor at IIT, Kharagpur, termed the information as “patently incorrect” saying that the institute was admitting students on basis of the GATE score. He also said that it was another attempt by the IIT to block transparency in its admission system. Kumar’s petition in the Supreme Court had pushed the IITs to declare the score of its entrance examination for bachers in technology courses.

Sandhu asked Patro to reconfirm the information from the Dean and if it was correct, to state the same through an affidavit. Once that it done, the CIC will take a final view on the decision.