Saturday, July 15, 2006
IIT Chennai satellite campus in Trichy (old news from Hindu)
IIT-Madras plans satellite campus in Tiruchi
Special Correspondent
To offer humanities courses
# The Institute is facing space constraint, says Director # Offer
for land from BHEL Tiruchi # IIT-M talking to HRD Ministry on the
proposal to set up satellite campuses
CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) may soon
have a satellite campus at Tiruchirapalli. The world-renowned
technology education provider also proposes to offer five-year
integrated courses in humanities from 2006.
M.S. Ananth, Director, IIT-M, told newspersons here on Wednesday
that despite the growing demand for expanding the IIT model of
high-class technical education, the Institute was constrained by
space. Since 1994, IIT-M had doubled its intake from about 275 to
550.
"The reality is we are situated in the middle of forestland and we
have to maintain our numbers. The constraint we have is that the
number of people here cannot cross 5,200, because we are a
residential campus. Any addition of students or teachers will
threaten the deer population here. At present, even when new courses
are introduced, the total intake remains the same," he said.
That is the reason why the IIT is talking to the Union Ministry of
Human Resources Development on the proposal to set up satellite
campuses. "We already have an offer for land from BHEL Tiruchi," he
said, indicating that the negotiations with the Ministry would
include this proposal.
In this regard, the S.K. Joshi committee had spoken about the need
for IITs to create more capacity or intake to meet the demand for
high quality technical education.
M.A. in humanities
Prof. Ananth said the Institute (which till now has been offering
only engineering, technology, pure sciences and management
programmes) was also looking to move into the area of humanities.
Recently, the HRD Ministry had called for a meeting to discuss ways
of strengthening humanities subjects, following which the IIT was
taking steps towards starting five-year integrated M.A courses.
"We are preparing the content, and the courses would start in 2006."
In effect, students with an interest in humanities would also be
able to enter the IITs. Initially, three programmes would be offered
in English, Economics and Development Studies. Students would get a
B.A and an M.A in the integrated programme. Admission would be
through a separate entrance test.
As part of its continuing innovation, the IIT-M was offering an M.
Tech programme in engineering design, with specialisation in
automotive design. Usha Titus, Registrar, said it was an
industry-driven programme. One semester was dedicated to industry
experience.
The participating industries would soon submit a report the IIT-M's
Senate on how they proposed to go forward with the programme and use
the students' expertise.
Special Correspondent
To offer humanities courses
# The Institute is facing space constraint, says Director # Offer
for land from BHEL Tiruchi # IIT-M talking to HRD Ministry on the
proposal to set up satellite campuses
CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) may soon
have a satellite campus at Tiruchirapalli. The world-renowned
technology education provider also proposes to offer five-year
integrated courses in humanities from 2006.
M.S. Ananth, Director, IIT-M, told newspersons here on Wednesday
that despite the growing demand for expanding the IIT model of
high-class technical education, the Institute was constrained by
space. Since 1994, IIT-M had doubled its intake from about 275 to
550.
"The reality is we are situated in the middle of forestland and we
have to maintain our numbers. The constraint we have is that the
number of people here cannot cross 5,200, because we are a
residential campus. Any addition of students or teachers will
threaten the deer population here. At present, even when new courses
are introduced, the total intake remains the same," he said.
That is the reason why the IIT is talking to the Union Ministry of
Human Resources Development on the proposal to set up satellite
campuses. "We already have an offer for land from BHEL Tiruchi," he
said, indicating that the negotiations with the Ministry would
include this proposal.
In this regard, the S.K. Joshi committee had spoken about the need
for IITs to create more capacity or intake to meet the demand for
high quality technical education.
M.A. in humanities
Prof. Ananth said the Institute (which till now has been offering
only engineering, technology, pure sciences and management
programmes) was also looking to move into the area of humanities.
Recently, the HRD Ministry had called for a meeting to discuss ways
of strengthening humanities subjects, following which the IIT was
taking steps towards starting five-year integrated M.A courses.
"We are preparing the content, and the courses would start in 2006."
In effect, students with an interest in humanities would also be
able to enter the IITs. Initially, three programmes would be offered
in English, Economics and Development Studies. Students would get a
B.A and an M.A in the integrated programme. Admission would be
through a separate entrance test.
As part of its continuing innovation, the IIT-M was offering an M.
Tech programme in engineering design, with specialisation in
automotive design. Usha Titus, Registrar, said it was an
industry-driven programme. One semester was dedicated to industry
experience.
The participating industries would soon submit a report the IIT-M's
Senate on how they proposed to go forward with the programme and use
the students' expertise.
