Kharagpur: A decision on an alternate examination procedure to reduce the pressure on students aiming to enter the elite Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or other engineering schools will be taken soon, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said recently.

"There is a crying need for examination reforms. We will reduce the pressure on our students who have to sit for 20 entrance examinations," Sibal told media persons on the sidelines of the 56th annual convocation of IIT Kharagpur.

A panel of directors, headed by IIT Kharagpur chief Damodar Acharya, was set up by Sibal earlier this year to examine the viability of an alternate examination procedure. "The panel will submit its report by the end of this month. Once we get the report we will act upon it at the earliest," Sibal said.

The minister said urgent steps were needed to lessen the pressure and reduce the dependence on coaching centres. "Coaching institutes in the country are for the rich and the privileged. The coaching institutes are not the best way to get into best of the institutes like IITs in the country," said Sibal.

In 2010, about 4.7 lakh students appeared for the IIT examination for admission to 10,000 seats spread over 15 IITs across the country. IANS