INDIA'S EDUCATION MINISTER SEEKS CONSENSUS OVER COMMON ENTRANCE EXAM FOR ENGINEERING

NATURAL WITH ENGLISH SPEECH

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SOURCE: ANI

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India's Education Minister seeks consensus over common entrance exam for engineering.

India's Education Minister Kapil Sibal says the government seeks consensus over common entrance examination for engineering.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

SHOWS:

KOLKATA, WESR BENGAL, INDIA (APRIL 02, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. DELEGATES SITTING IN A CONFERENCE HALL

2. INDIA'S EDUCATION MINISTER, KAPIL SIBAL SITTING AT THE STAGE

3. DELEGATES SITTING

4. SIBAL SITTING

5. DELEGATES SITTING, LISTENING

6. SIBAL TALKING TO MEDIAPERSONS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIA'S EDUCATION MINISTER, KAPIL SIBAL, SAYING: "As I said, that tentatively yes, we are in principle, we will certainly consult everybody (every state) before we move and we have consulted a lot of people including state governments and we are going to the cape committee and cape committee will endorse it."

8. SIBAL LEAVING

STORY: India's Education Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday (April 02) said the government seeks consensus over common entrance examination for engineering.

According to media reports, Sibal's comments came after the five states had expressed reservations against the federal government's proposal to introduce a common examination for engineering colleges.

Sibal, who was addressing an education conclave in Kolkata city of India's eastern West Bengal state, said he would consult all the state governments before taking any decision.

"As I said, that tentatively yes, we are in principle, we will certainly consult everybody (every state) before we move and we have consulted a lot of people including state governments and we are going to committee and the committee will endorse it," he said.

Media reports say that West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have opposed the plan for introducing a common national examination for undergraduate engineering courses across the country.

Meanwhile Siabl also denied comments over the absence of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu from the conclave.