In 2011, as per the orders of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, CBSE conducted Paper 1 in Computer-Based-Test mode for the first one lakh candidates who opted for the same, while the remaining students took the examination in the conventional pen and paper mode. The number of attempts which a candidate can avail at the examination is limited to three in consecutive years. Reservation policy SPA has an affirmative action policy on caste-based reserved quotas. As per the provisions in the Indian constitution, the SPAs have been reserving seats for Scheduled Castes of society since 1973. As per the rules, all the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates must take the JEE with the rest of the students. Based on the results of AIEEE but using relaxed admissions criteria, SC and ST candidates are offered admission. There is no relaxation on the criteria for passing the exams or graduating a course. The candidates admitted through the reservation policy are also subjected to the same criteria as the general candidates for graduation. Education The SPA Delhi has a Deemed University status, while SPA Bhopal and SPA Vijayawada function autonomously, and their special status as Institutes of National Importance facilitates the smooth running of SPAs, virtually free from both regional as well as student politics. Such autonomy means that SPAs can create their own curricula and adapt rapidly to the changes in educational requirements, free from bureaucratic hurdles. The government has no direct control over internal policy decisions of SPAs (like faculty recruitment and curricula) but has representation on the SPA Council. The medium of instruction in all SPAs is English. The classes are usually held between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., though there are some variations within each SPA. All the SPAs have public libraries for the use of their students. The electronic libraries allow students to access on-line journals and periodicals. School offers planning, architecture and design courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. While the Bachelor of Architecture course is one of the oldest in the country, highly successful Bachelor of Planning course was started in 1989. The School offers 10 postgraduate programmes and 2 undergraduate programmes along with the doctoral programmes run by all the departments of studies. Recognition SPAs have a special status as "Institutes of National Importance" under an act of Parliament, due to which the degrees provided by SPAs need not be