New Delhi: Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani has decided to seek more funds from the finance ministry for new IITs and upgradation of existing IITs.
The move comes as per BJP poll promise and officials of the ministry have already been tasked with looking to establish IITs in all states across the country devoid of these institutions. The minister also had a meeting with IIT directors and is herself expected to visit Gujarat and the Gandhinagar IIT, one of the newer institutes.
At Thursday’s meeting the minister is also understood to have reviewed the functioning of eight new IITs, many of these still operating out of makeshift campuses.
Ms Irani is learnt to have told officials in the HRD ministry to draw up a proposal seeking additional funds to fulfil the poll promises made by the BJP.
Currently, 16 IITs are operational right now with eight of these institutes set up in 2009. Several states, including, Kerala, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Goa, Sikkim and Chhattisgarh do not have these institutes. While an IIT has already been promised for Seemandhra, there is also an argument for more IITs in the Northeast.
This paper was the first to report on May 27 that the new government could help ensure fulfilling of regional aspirations by providing prestigious institutes like IITs across the country.
Meanwhile, reviewing the progress of higher education department, the minister expressed her grave concerns about large number of students from SPA Bhopal, SPA Vijayawada and IIITD&M Kancheepuram, numbering about 700, not being able to get their degrees. The minister directed the officers concerned to immediately take up the matter in the coming Parliament session so that both the bills, which are ready, could be passed.
Sources stated that during this time efforts would also be made to explore the possibilities to have these institutions declared as off-campus centre of one of the existing institution so that standby arrangement of conferring degrees could be put in place.
The minister also met Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) director Vineet Joshi on Thursday.
