University of Mumbai (UM) - DAE CBS - National Entrance Screening Test (NEST- 2012)

University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy  Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CBS) is being set up by the Department of Atomic Energy of Government of India at Mumbai, beginning with the academic year 2007-08.

National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) 2007 is the first step for admission to UM-DAE CBS. 

Based on the NEST score, a limited number of students will be called for interview at Mumbai between August 30 to September 2, 2007.  Final selection of students will be based only on the performance in the interview.

Schedule of the Test: SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2007 (1.00 pm to 4.00 pm) 

Pattern of Question Paper: The question paper will consist of five sections:

1.       General (compulsory)

2.       Mathematics

3.       Physics

4.       Chemistry and

5.       Biology.

Of sections (2-5), which will carry equal weightage of marks (30% each), any three will have to be selected. The General section will carry 10% of weightage.  All questions will be of objective type, which are to be answered on a specially designed machine gradable sheet using HB pencils only.

Questions will aim to test comprehension and analytical ability of the candidates. Incorrect answers may be awarded negative marks.

No student will be allowed to retain the question paper with him/her. Every student must return the question paper together with the answer sheet to the invigilator before leaving the examination hall.  

Language of Question Paper: For NEST 2007 the language of question paper will be English only.

General instructions for examination

·          Students must reach the examination centre 30 minutes before the time of the test. The will not be permitted to leave the examination hall before 1 hour after the test begins.

·          Use of log tables and calculators will not be permitted in NEST 2007.

NEST 2007 Centres: NEST 2007 centres are likely to be located in the following cities/towns.

Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Panaji, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Simla.

This same list is given in Application Form (A). The candidate should give their first and second preferences from this list.

Note that the list of cities/towns is tentative.  A few more cities and towns may be added and a few may be deleted from the above list.  There is no guarantee that the candidate will be allotted the centre of his/her first or second preference.  Allotment of examination centre to the candidate by the Chief Coordinator NEST 2007 will be regarded as final and any request for change of centre will not be entertained.

(i)                  Qualification: 60% marks for general category and 55% for SC/ST category in aggregate (or equivalent grade) in Class XII (or equivalent) examination, from any recognized Board in India. Students who have passed the qualifying examination in 2006 or are appearing in 2007 are eligible to apply.  Where only Letter grade is given by the Board, a certificate from the Board specifying equivalent percentage marks will  be required. In the absence of such a certificate the decision of the UM-DAE CBS Admission Committee will be final.

(ii)                Age Limit: Candidates born on or after 01 Oct. 1982 are eligible to apply, relaxable by 5 years for SC/ST candidates

Admission Procedure: Admission procedure for UM-DAE CBS consists of two components:

(i)                Students seeking admission to UM-DAE CBS will first appear for a

            National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) to be conducted on July

           29, 2007 at a number of centres in India by Homi Bhabha Centre for

           Science Education (TIFR), Mumbai.

(ii)              Based on the NEST score a limited number of students will be called

           for interview at Mumbai.

* Students who are Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) Fellows or those who have qualified in the Indian National Olympiad Examinations (2007) organized by HBCSE (TIFR) in different subjects will be called for interview without going through NEST, provided they satisfy the eligibility criteria for admission and send their applications along with application fee like all other candidates.

Final selection for admission will be made only on the basis of performance in the interview.

Number of Seats and Reservation: There will be 20 seats in the first year (in Physics stream only) with reservation as per Govt. norms applicable to UM-DAE CBS.  The admission will be very selective and students who are highly motivated to pursue higher education and research in science and its applications are encouraged to apply. 

Fee Structure at UM-DAE CBS: The fee structure at UM-DAE CBS will be on par with similar institutes in the country like the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research at Pune and Kolkata. The tuition fee will be Rs.6000/- per semester approximately.  In addition students will pay nominal rent for hostel accommodation and subsidized boarding costs in the institute’s hostel mess.

Obtaining Application forms for admission to UM-DAE CBS: Application Form (A) and Admit Card (B) together with information brochure can be downloaded from the websites: www.mu.ac.in/cbs ;  www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/cbsnest  and  www.tifr.res.in/~cbs .  Alternatively, they can be obtained free by sending a self-addressed envelope of size 30cm x 24cm affixed with postage stamp of Rs.15/-  to Chief Coordinator, NEST-2007, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), V. N. Purav Marg, Mankhurd, Mumbai – 400 088.   Last date for receipt of request for application forms to be sent by post is May 25, 2007.

Admit Card for NEST 2007: In addition to filling up Application Form (A), the candidate must fill up Admit Card (B), paste his/her recent photograph on it and write clearly the candidate’s full mailing address in capital letters including the pin code of city/town. 

After receiving Application Form (A) and Admit Card (B) together with the required application fee from eligible candidates, the Chief Coordinator will allot a suitable examination centre, sign on the Admit Card (B) and mail it back to the candidate’s mailing address.

CBS/NEST office will not be responsible if the Admit Card (B) does not reach the candidate in time due to postal delay and/or incorrect/illegible address or the candidate’s unavailability at the said address.

Eligible candidates who do not receive their Admit Card by July 9, 2007  may send a letter to the Chief Coordinator by post at the address already given in the brochure or email at cbs@hbcse.tifr.res.in.   Telephone enquiries in this connection will not be entertained.

Obtaining Application forms for admission to UM-DAE CBS: Application Form (A) and Admit Card (B) together with information brochure can be downloaded from the websites: www.mu.ac.in/cbs ;  www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/cbsnest  and  www.tifr.res.in/~cbs .  Alternatively, they can be obtained free by sending a self-addressed envelope of size 30cm x 24cm affixed with postage stamp of Rs.15/-  to Chief Coordinator, NEST-2007, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), V. N. Purav Marg, Mankhurd, Mumbai – 400 088.   Last date for receipt of request for application forms to be sent by post is May 25, 2007.

Applying for admission to UM-DAE CBS: For applying for admission to UM-DAE CBS the candidate must fill two forms marked (A) and (B) attached with information brochure. (From above link)

Candidates should follow the instructions given on each form carefully and send the completed Application Form (A) and the Admit Card (B) together with the Demand Draft for the required application fee by REGISTERED POST OR SPEED POST only to the following address.

The Chief Coordinator

NEST 2007

Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education

(Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)

V.N. Purav Marg, Mankhurd

Mumbai – 400 088.

Students who are Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) Fellows or those who have qualified in the Indian National Olympiad Examinations (2007) organized by HBCSE (TIFR) in different subjects need not fill up Admit Card (B).  The list of the qualified Olympiad students is given on the website: http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/olympiads.  KVPY and Olympiad students must, however, fill up Application Form (A) and send it along with the required application fee like all other candidates to the same address as above.  They will be called for interview without going through NEST, provided they satisfy the eligibility criteria for admission.

Application Form (A) and Admit Card (B) must be filled in English only.

Completed Application Forms along with the Demand Draft for the required application fee must reach the Chief Coordinator at the above address not later than June 8, 2007.

Last date for request for Application Forms by post: May 25, 2007

Last date for receipt of completed Application Forms along with application fee: June 8, 2007

Dispatch of Admit Cards to be completed by: June 30, 2007

Date of NEST 2007: July 29, 2007

NEST 2007 results: August 15, 2007

Interviews of short listed students: Aug. 30 – Sept. 2 

Final list of selected candidates: September 7, 2007

NEST 2007 Results: The merit lists of NEST 2007 will be put up on the websites: http://www.mu.ac.in/cbs ; http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/cbsnest and www.tifr.res.in/~cbs about 2 weeks after the NEST examination i.e by about August 15, 2007. There will be separate merit lists for students in General category, and in reserved categories.  The merit lists will display the ranks of the candidates in their respective categories but not their scores.

These merit lists will be separate for UM-DAE CBS and NISER applicants

Chief Coordinator, NEST 2007
Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
V.N. Purav Marg, Mankhurd
Mumbai, 400088 INDIA

Country Code: 091, Area Code: 022,
Telephone Nos: 255580036, 2556 7711, 2555 4712, 2555 5242
Fax: 091-22-2556 6803

Email: cbs@hbcse.tifr.res.in

Website: www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/cbsnest, www.tifr.res.in/~cbs