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Usha Albuquerque
The pursuit of science as a subject of study in India is huge. Not only because many hold the conservative view that science is the best subject and highest in value, but also because the two most coveted career options in the country, engineering and medicine require a background study of science. Adding further polish to the shining aura around the study of science has been the introduction of a national level competitive exam to identify and recognise students with high intellect and academic talent — first introduced for science subjects alone.
The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) a National-Level Scholarship Programme at the Secondary School level was established by the Government of India in 1961 with a view to bringing about qualitative improvement in school education. The National Council of Education Research and Training which was set up at the time conducted the National Science Talent Search (NSTS) Scheme, to find out the talented students in science and award them with scholarships.
But over the years with the many changes in the educational system and the introduction of the 10+2+ 3 pattern of school education, the NSTS underwent a change. It was renamed the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) to give importance to all subjects including social sciences in addition to the sciences, engineering and medicine. The purpose of the scheme was to identify brilliant students by the end of Class X and help them with financial assistance towards developing their talent and continuing their education.
The NTSE scheme devised for Indian students only, is conducted every year at two levels. The objective of the two-tier examination is to identify the talented students who have a special aptitude for Sciences, Mathematics, and the Social Sciences. The Stage-I is the state level exam conducted by the States/Union Territories to identify and recommend students eligible to take up the National level exam. Stage II is the national level exam conducted by NCERT.
The state-level screening examination is conducted in all State/UT's on the first Sunday of November except in Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar Island, Meghalaya and Mizoram where is conducted on first Saturday of November every year.
Pattern
The written examination consists of two paper: Paper-I - Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Paper-II - Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Both tests are administered on the same day. There is no prescribed syllabus for the NTS examination, which conforms to the class IX & X level of the school boards. Mental Ability Test consists of 100 multiple-choice type questions of one mark each with four alternatives answers. The Scholastic Aptitude Test also has 100 multiple-choice questions — 40 from Science, 40 from Social Science and 20 from Mathematics. A student can take the test in English or in several Indian languages, but must mention the language option in the test application form. For more details check out the separate booklet called 'Learn about the Test' containing sample items for both the tests available in print as well as on the NCERT website www.ncert.nic.in
For whom
All students studying in recognised schools in Class X are eligible for appearing in the test and are required to have obtained 60 per cent marks in their Class IX final exam. SC, ST and PH category candidates get a relaxation of 5 per cent. Students registered under Open Distance Learning are also eligible to sit for the exam if they are below the age of 18 years (as on July 1, of the year of the test) and not employed.
The states and UTs normally declare the results of the State Level Talent Search examination by January/ February of the following year and recommend the successful candidates for the second level NTS examination conducted by the NCERT. Every year more than 3 lakh students appear for the exam of which 4,000 students are normally shortlisted for the National level NTSE and finally 1,000 are awarded with scholarships, 775 being from general quota.
Practice for competitive exams
The National Talent Search exam has given a great boost for raising educational levels in the country. Besides the scholarship fee which though modest, is extremely prestigious, those who qualify for the scholarship gain both in confidence, reputation and several educational benefits.
While the preparation for the exam enables students to understand the concepts behind much of their study matter, the exam process also becomes a good study practice for other competitive exams. There are also advantages when applying to colleges and higher education institutes many of which give preference to candidates who have qualified in the exam, as also for government jobs and government exam interviews. Even foreign institutes have begun to recognize the value of this exam as a criteria for selection of students. Additionally all those appearing for the NTSE benefit from the rigour of study preparation, and the consolidation of learning and conceptual knowledge and an opportunity to benchmark your abilities against the best in the country. So if you are a high achiever and are preparing to enter this world of superior learning it is important to polish up your exam preparation over the next couple of weeks. Identify your strengths and weaknesses - manoeuvre them effectively and you will be racing ahead to victory!
What’s on offer
Under the present scheme a monthly scholarship of Rs 1250 is given to NTSE scholars for pursuing science, social science, humanities, fine arts, languages, commerce, or vocational studies in Class XI and XII. The scholarship amount is increased to Rs 2000 per month at undergraduate level, and to PhD students in accordance with UGC norms. Candidates studying in Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages Commerce, vocational studies and fine arts are eligible to receive the scholarship up to PhD level whereas those studying professional courses such as medicine, engineering, management and law, are eligible to receive the scholarship up to the second degree level
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