One more year has passed by with students writing their hearts out towards securing a dream career in architecture. Little did they know about the surprise that awaited them in their exams. National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) for the first time had questions from a topic of little importance. This time the villain as a question appeared in the form of colour. This for sure caught many by surprise especially on students who relaxed their exam preparation on last year questions.
The word challenge / competitiveness garnered life with Council of Architecture (COA) closing in on the loose ends and executing the council changes with such precision and finesse. The reduction in number of attempts, redistribution of marks, Offline mode of exam have only further revealed the true colours of this profession to be more competitive and challenging than any by Guinness world record standards.
According to a news article that appeared in 2014, the COA intends to further tighten the eligibility factor through restricting students of disciplines from art/ commerce and humanities and have planned to encourage candidates only from a science background. The new subjects include physics and chemistry in addition to math. A reason for this decision as COA justifies is to separate the wheat from the chaff. This announcement has hurt many a student’s ambition and dream of gaining a foot hold to one of the most respected profession in the country. In an attempt to get this decision withdrawn, certain student unions have made representation to the COA and the government which is under review.
The exam of NATA conducted in 2017, April 16th as a consequence has seen less students writing the exam in comparison to last year. A few questions linger as what would be the fate of students who does not fall under the guide lines of COA as per 2018. Would architecture have a future in the hands of a non-creative mind set? Would all the future buildings be an eyesore for humanity? Would this be an end to all the iconic structures yet to be born?
As the saying goes all rivers end up in the ocean and all talents see light at the end of the day. Let’s close the article with a prayer that government and regulatory bodies take the right steps in reversing the decision for a brighter future in the betterment of this glorious and respected profession.
