AIEEE will now lead you to Ahmedabad's Nirma University

In bid to adopt national standards in engineering education, Nirma University has decided to switch to All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) from the current academic year. Previously, Nirma used to conduct two different entrance exams for admission to its engineering course.

One was Gujarat Common Entrance Test - GUJCET and another was AIEEE, which is a nationally approved entrance exam.

Of the 600 engineering seats, 75% were filled through GUJCET while 25% were filled by AIEEE passouts.

From this academic year, there will only be one exam - AIEEE for entry to engineering courses in the varsity.

This means students from Gujarat who wish to study in Nirma will have to appear and clear this test. Vice-chancellor of Nirma University Dr. NV Vasani has already put a proposal before the government about this switch over.  "On the lines of other universities in Gujarat like PDPU, we too have decided to switch to AIEEE" said Dr. Vasani.

Hasmukh Adhiya, principal secretary with the education department, also accepted the proposal which will be implemented from April onwards.

He also said that students from Gujarat will get the benefit of 50% reservation in the final merit list.

He rubbished allegations about growing opposition to the move.
Earlier, GU executive member Manish Doshi had opposed this move.

"This is unjust to the students from Gujarat as GUJCET marks will not be considered". He also criticised the last minute changes in the policy, which according to him, will leave students little time to prepare for AIEEE.

Rubbishing the opposition, Adhiya said that last year 50,000 Gujarati students appeared for AIEEE.

"Moreover, seats are being reserved for them. So there is no need to worry," he said. Following this move by Adhiya, V-C of Nirma University, Dr. Vasani also announced an additional 25% increase in the merit quota for Gujarati students.

"Previously, we had proposed only 50% seats for students from Gujarat, but now we have decided to give 75% seats to them." said Dr. Vasani.