Monday, February 26, 2007
IITs plan for expansion scrapped
IITs plan for expansion scrapped
Chetan Chauhan
New Delhi, February 26, 2007
The HRD ministry has snowballed the plan of IITs to open new campuses. The first to be hit are the top three IITs of the country at - Delhi, Mumbai and Kharagpur.
In a policy directive, the HRD ministry has rejected the idea of opening satellite campuses in places far off from the main campus, citing huge costs involved. The decision was taken after number of IITs approached the HRD ministry seeking its views on opening new campuses.
While IIT Delhi was formulating a plan for Gurgaon, the proposal of IIT Mumbai for Gujarat and IIT Kharagpur for Bhubaneswar have already been rejected by the HRD ministry. "We are against the concept of opening satellite campuses as it may dilute the standard of education in premier institutes like IITs," a senior ministry official told HT.
IIT Kharagpur, which has a small campus functioning in Bhubaneswar, offering post-graduate diplomas, wanted the ministry’s permission to expand the existing campus and convert it into satellite campus offering undergraduate courses. Even Orissa Chief Minister Navin Pathnaik had written to the HRD minister Arjun Singh requesting a IIT in Orissa or providing full-fledged IIT like facilities in the existing campus to improve higher education in the state.
Rejecting the proposal, the HRD ministry officials say that Orissa as 12 Centrally funded educational institutes and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already announced opening of a National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar.
A similar proposal from IIT Mumbai to open a campus in Ahmedabad to tap huge influx of JEE pass-outs from Gujarat was not approved, although there allegations that the proposal was rejected as IIT Mumbai had selected a BJP ruled state. But, a HRD ministry official gave a different explanation. "Opening a satellite campus requires funds equal to opening a new IIT. So, it is better to open new IITs," he said.
The HRD ministry has got, in principle, approval for opening three new IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. HRD minister Arjun Singh has requested Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy to provide 500-600 acres of land.
The state government has informed the ministry that they are in the process of finalising land with civic amenities and air and rail connectivity, a ministry official said. Similar, requests have also been made to Bihar and Rajasthan governments, he added.
Email Chetan Chauhan: chetan@hindustantimes.com
Chetan Chauhan
New Delhi, February 26, 2007
The HRD ministry has snowballed the plan of IITs to open new campuses. The first to be hit are the top three IITs of the country at - Delhi, Mumbai and Kharagpur.
In a policy directive, the HRD ministry has rejected the idea of opening satellite campuses in places far off from the main campus, citing huge costs involved. The decision was taken after number of IITs approached the HRD ministry seeking its views on opening new campuses.
While IIT Delhi was formulating a plan for Gurgaon, the proposal of IIT Mumbai for Gujarat and IIT Kharagpur for Bhubaneswar have already been rejected by the HRD ministry. "We are against the concept of opening satellite campuses as it may dilute the standard of education in premier institutes like IITs," a senior ministry official told HT.
IIT Kharagpur, which has a small campus functioning in Bhubaneswar, offering post-graduate diplomas, wanted the ministry’s permission to expand the existing campus and convert it into satellite campus offering undergraduate courses. Even Orissa Chief Minister Navin Pathnaik had written to the HRD minister Arjun Singh requesting a IIT in Orissa or providing full-fledged IIT like facilities in the existing campus to improve higher education in the state.
Rejecting the proposal, the HRD ministry officials say that Orissa as 12 Centrally funded educational institutes and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already announced opening of a National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar.
A similar proposal from IIT Mumbai to open a campus in Ahmedabad to tap huge influx of JEE pass-outs from Gujarat was not approved, although there allegations that the proposal was rejected as IIT Mumbai had selected a BJP ruled state. But, a HRD ministry official gave a different explanation. "Opening a satellite campus requires funds equal to opening a new IIT. So, it is better to open new IITs," he said.
The HRD ministry has got, in principle, approval for opening three new IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. HRD minister Arjun Singh has requested Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy to provide 500-600 acres of land.
The state government has informed the ministry that they are in the process of finalising land with civic amenities and air and rail connectivity, a ministry official said. Similar, requests have also been made to Bihar and Rajasthan governments, he added.
Email Chetan Chauhan: chetan@hindustantimes.com
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Science and Technology Minister Makes National Institutes in his Home State
Mohali to be new knowledge centre for north India
Chetan Chauhan, New Delhi, February 23, 2007
What Bangalore is for south India, Mohali would soon be for northern India - a hub for multi-level knowledge base with five educational institutes and a biotechnology park.
An ambitious plan prepared by the government to be implemented in the next five years have HRD ministry, Science and Technology ministry and Punjab government as collaborators. "Entire proposal is in the final stages of approval as the Punjab government has been asked to provide adequate land for the national knowledge project," a senior government official told HT.
The approval process started on Thursday with the Union Cabinet approving setting up of Rs 100 crore Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Mohali. By doing this, the government has fulfilled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s commitment of an IISER in the town.
The PM’s plan has got further boost with ministry of Science and Technology deciding to open National Institute of Nano-Technology and National Institute of Bio-Technology in Mohali. "The proposals in this regard would be forwarded for Cabinet consideration soon," a senior government official said.
The Punjab government has been asked by the Centre to open a management school through public-private partnership model in Mohali. They have also been asked to provide land for developing national biotechnology park. The existing National Institute for Pharmaceutical Education and Research will be part of the new ‘knowledge campus’.
According to a senior government official, all the five institutes will come up in one huge campus with common residential, library, sports, broadband and hostel facilities. To make it a true learning centre and attract best talent, the government has recommended residential facilities, with Internet facilities, for all students and teachers.
A sub-group headed by former education secretary BS Baswan has recommended a flexible recruitment policy for the campus and complete employment opportunities for students.
The report submitted in December 2006 entails that teachers would get salary higher than the government pay scales, extra honorarium for research projects and opportunities for visiting foreign universities, in a bid to attract best teaching talent. The group has also recommended that the new knowledge centre should have tie-ups with foreign universities to hire faculty of Indian origin on semesters basis.
For students, the group had recommended better interaction with industry with emphasis on future employment avenues.
E-mail Chetan Chauhan: chetan@hindustantimes.com
Chetan Chauhan, New Delhi, February 23, 2007
What Bangalore is for south India, Mohali would soon be for northern India - a hub for multi-level knowledge base with five educational institutes and a biotechnology park.
An ambitious plan prepared by the government to be implemented in the next five years have HRD ministry, Science and Technology ministry and Punjab government as collaborators. "Entire proposal is in the final stages of approval as the Punjab government has been asked to provide adequate land for the national knowledge project," a senior government official told HT.
The approval process started on Thursday with the Union Cabinet approving setting up of Rs 100 crore Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Mohali. By doing this, the government has fulfilled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s commitment of an IISER in the town.
The PM’s plan has got further boost with ministry of Science and Technology deciding to open National Institute of Nano-Technology and National Institute of Bio-Technology in Mohali. "The proposals in this regard would be forwarded for Cabinet consideration soon," a senior government official said.
The Punjab government has been asked by the Centre to open a management school through public-private partnership model in Mohali. They have also been asked to provide land for developing national biotechnology park. The existing National Institute for Pharmaceutical Education and Research will be part of the new ‘knowledge campus’.
According to a senior government official, all the five institutes will come up in one huge campus with common residential, library, sports, broadband and hostel facilities. To make it a true learning centre and attract best talent, the government has recommended residential facilities, with Internet facilities, for all students and teachers.
A sub-group headed by former education secretary BS Baswan has recommended a flexible recruitment policy for the campus and complete employment opportunities for students.
The report submitted in December 2006 entails that teachers would get salary higher than the government pay scales, extra honorarium for research projects and opportunities for visiting foreign universities, in a bid to attract best teaching talent. The group has also recommended that the new knowledge centre should have tie-ups with foreign universities to hire faculty of Indian origin on semesters basis.
For students, the group had recommended better interaction with industry with emphasis on future employment avenues.
E-mail Chetan Chauhan: chetan@hindustantimes.com
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Shillong IIM likely next year: The Telegraph
Shillong IIM likely next year
OUR CORRESPONDENT
IIM Lucknow: Shillong in queue
Shillong, Feb. 13: Dilly-dallying by the Union ministry of human resource development is likely to dampen the chances of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong becoming functional this year. The proposed premier business school will start classes only from the next academic year.
With Common Admission Test (CAT) scores having been announced, the admission process to the six IIMs is currently under way. However, the Centre is yet to issue a notification seeking the appointment of a director and registrar for the proposed Shillong IIM.
The Meghalaya government, however, has completed the required formalities, like providing 50 acres of land at Mawdiangdiang for the construction of a permanent str-ucture to house the institute.
The state has even provided a temporary shelter for the institute at Nongthymmai, so that the institute could start operations from this year.
The total budget for the temporary campus has been estimated at Rs 1.75 crore. The Union government has not released any funds for the project so far. The state has undertaken the construction on reimbursement basis and nearly 70 per cent of construction for residential quarters and student hostels is complete.
“According to the directions issued by the human resource development ministry, we have even sent the list of members for the governing body,” a senior state government official said.
“Most probably classes will not start this year,” the official added.
The human resource development ministry is also not sure whether classes can begin this year. Deputy director of higher education, Kalapana Singh, said the process was on but refused to elaborate.
The decision to set up an IIM was announced after Union minister for human resource development, Arjun Singh, held a meeting in Shillong a few years ago. Earlier, tribal affairs minister P.R. Kyndiah and former deputy chief minister in charge of education, Mukul M. Sangma, had lobbied for an IIM in Shillong.
This proposed seventh IIM in the country will have a two-year post-graduate programme in business management with nearly 150-odd students in the first year.
Shillong, known as the educational capital of the Northeast, had to face stiff competition from neighbouring Assam for the institute. Meghalaya was granted the IIM as Guwahati has an IIT.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
IIM Lucknow: Shillong in queue
Shillong, Feb. 13: Dilly-dallying by the Union ministry of human resource development is likely to dampen the chances of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong becoming functional this year. The proposed premier business school will start classes only from the next academic year.
With Common Admission Test (CAT) scores having been announced, the admission process to the six IIMs is currently under way. However, the Centre is yet to issue a notification seeking the appointment of a director and registrar for the proposed Shillong IIM.
The Meghalaya government, however, has completed the required formalities, like providing 50 acres of land at Mawdiangdiang for the construction of a permanent str-ucture to house the institute.
The state has even provided a temporary shelter for the institute at Nongthymmai, so that the institute could start operations from this year.
The total budget for the temporary campus has been estimated at Rs 1.75 crore. The Union government has not released any funds for the project so far. The state has undertaken the construction on reimbursement basis and nearly 70 per cent of construction for residential quarters and student hostels is complete.
“According to the directions issued by the human resource development ministry, we have even sent the list of members for the governing body,” a senior state government official said.
“Most probably classes will not start this year,” the official added.
The human resource development ministry is also not sure whether classes can begin this year. Deputy director of higher education, Kalapana Singh, said the process was on but refused to elaborate.
The decision to set up an IIM was announced after Union minister for human resource development, Arjun Singh, held a meeting in Shillong a few years ago. Earlier, tribal affairs minister P.R. Kyndiah and former deputy chief minister in charge of education, Mukul M. Sangma, had lobbied for an IIM in Shillong.
This proposed seventh IIM in the country will have a two-year post-graduate programme in business management with nearly 150-odd students in the first year.
Shillong, known as the educational capital of the Northeast, had to face stiff competition from neighbouring Assam for the institute. Meghalaya was granted the IIM as Guwahati has an IIT.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Dharitri's editorial focuses on shifting of IIT from Orissa
Monday, February 05, 2007
Dharitri exposes ignorance of HRD minstry towards Orissa
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Center betrays Orissa on IIT: Odisha.com
http://www.odisha.com/20070204/fullstory/IIT.html
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Andhra Pradesh may have managed to bag a proposed IIT from Orissa at Centre's behest: CNN-IBN
My way or the highway! AP politicians fight over IIT
New Delhi: Getting into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology is every engineering aspirant’s dream. But getting the IIT into their state seems to be every politician’s ambition.
At least that’s what is happening in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, with the neighbours fighting it out over getting the institute within their territorial boundaries.
A day after Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took strong exception to the reported move of the Centre to shift the establishment of an IIT from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh, a political battle of sorts has broken out in Andhra.
Highway traffic has been badly hit on two National Highways after both the Opposition parties and the ruling Congress called for a blockade over where the proposed IIT should be established.
While the Opposition parties have called for a blockade of NH-9 - demanding an IIT at Basar in Adilabad district - the Congress is blocking NH-7 as it wants an IIT to be set up elsewhere!
“We are blocking the highway as we want an IIT in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh,” confirmed Medak Zila Parishad Chairman, Patan Cheru.
However, Congress is not having it easy either. All the political parties of state have come together to oppose CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s stand of locating the IIT in Medak district.
How it started
The Centre had announced establishment of three greenfield IITs in the country during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Orissa was included in this proposal, which was also announced by Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development MM Fatmi on August 28 last year at Patna.
The move did not go down well with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who on Wednesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that a greenfield IIT should be sanctioned for the State.
Describing the move by the Centre to establish the IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan as ‘shocking’, the Chief Minister has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in setting up such an institute in Orissa.
Drawing the Prime Minister’s attention to the proposal of the IIT, Kharagpur for the upgradation of their extension centre in Orissa to a full-fledged IIT campus, Naveen said that the State Government has also formally recommended the proposal to the Ministry of HRD and conveyed willingness to provide 300 acres of land free of cost for the prestigious project.
He requested the Prime Minister to sanction the extension campus also.
(With CNN-IBN inputs)
New Delhi: Getting into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology is every engineering aspirant’s dream. But getting the IIT into their state seems to be every politician’s ambition.
At least that’s what is happening in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, with the neighbours fighting it out over getting the institute within their territorial boundaries.
A day after Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took strong exception to the reported move of the Centre to shift the establishment of an IIT from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh, a political battle of sorts has broken out in Andhra.
Highway traffic has been badly hit on two National Highways after both the Opposition parties and the ruling Congress called for a blockade over where the proposed IIT should be established.
While the Opposition parties have called for a blockade of NH-9 - demanding an IIT at Basar in Adilabad district - the Congress is blocking NH-7 as it wants an IIT to be set up elsewhere!
“We are blocking the highway as we want an IIT in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh,” confirmed Medak Zila Parishad Chairman, Patan Cheru.
However, Congress is not having it easy either. All the political parties of state have come together to oppose CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s stand of locating the IIT in Medak district.
How it started
The Centre had announced establishment of three greenfield IITs in the country during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Orissa was included in this proposal, which was also announced by Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development MM Fatmi on August 28 last year at Patna.
The move did not go down well with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who on Wednesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that a greenfield IIT should be sanctioned for the State.
Describing the move by the Centre to establish the IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan as ‘shocking’, the Chief Minister has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in setting up such an institute in Orissa.
Drawing the Prime Minister’s attention to the proposal of the IIT, Kharagpur for the upgradation of their extension centre in Orissa to a full-fledged IIT campus, Naveen said that the State Government has also formally recommended the proposal to the Ministry of HRD and conveyed willingness to provide 300 acres of land free of cost for the prestigious project.
He requested the Prime Minister to sanction the extension campus also.
(With CNN-IBN inputs)
Orissa was included in greenfield IIT proposal: Money Control
My way or the highway! AP politicos fight over IIT
2007-02-01 12:08 Source : www.ibnlive.com
New Delhi: Getting into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology is every engineering aspirant’s dream. But getting the IIT into their state seems to be every politician’s ambition.
At least that’s what is happening in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, with both the southern neighbours fighting it out over getting the institute within their territorial boundaries.
A day after Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took strong exception to the reported move of the Centre to shift the establishment of an IIT from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh, a political battle of sorts has broken out in Andhra.
Highway traffic has been badly hit on two National Highways after both the Opposition parties and the ruling Congress called for a blockade over where the proposed IIT should be established.
While the Opposition parties have called for a blockade of NH-9 - demanding an IIT at Basar in Adilabad district - the Congress is blocking NH-7 as it wants an IIT to be set up elsewhere!
“We are blocking the highway as we want an IIT in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh,†confirmed Medak Zila Parishad Chairman, Patan Cheru.
However, Congress is not having it easy either. All the political parties of state have come together to oppose CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s stand of locating the IIT in Medak district.
The Centre had announced establishment of three greenfield IITs in the country during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Orissa was included in this proposal, which was also announced by Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development MM Fatmi on August 28 last year at Patna.
The move did not go down well with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who on Wednesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that a greenfield IIT should be sanctioned for the State.
Describing the move by the Centre to establish the IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan as ‘shocking’, the Chief Minister has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in setting up such an institute in Orissa.
Drawing the Prime Minister’s attention to the proposal of the IIT, Kharagpur for the upgradation of their extension centre in Orissa to a full-fledged IIT campus, Naveen said that the State Government has also formally recommended the proposal to the Ministry of HRD and conveyed willingness to provide 300 acres of land free of cost for the prestigious project. He requested the Prime Minister to sanction the extension campus also.
2007-02-01 12:08 Source : www.ibnlive.com
New Delhi: Getting into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology is every engineering aspirant’s dream. But getting the IIT into their state seems to be every politician’s ambition.
At least that’s what is happening in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, with both the southern neighbours fighting it out over getting the institute within their territorial boundaries.
A day after Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took strong exception to the reported move of the Centre to shift the establishment of an IIT from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh, a political battle of sorts has broken out in Andhra.
Highway traffic has been badly hit on two National Highways after both the Opposition parties and the ruling Congress called for a blockade over where the proposed IIT should be established.
While the Opposition parties have called for a blockade of NH-9 - demanding an IIT at Basar in Adilabad district - the Congress is blocking NH-7 as it wants an IIT to be set up elsewhere!
“We are blocking the highway as we want an IIT in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh,†confirmed Medak Zila Parishad Chairman, Patan Cheru.
However, Congress is not having it easy either. All the political parties of state have come together to oppose CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s stand of locating the IIT in Medak district.
The Centre had announced establishment of three greenfield IITs in the country during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Orissa was included in this proposal, which was also announced by Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development MM Fatmi on August 28 last year at Patna.
The move did not go down well with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who on Wednesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that a greenfield IIT should be sanctioned for the State.
Describing the move by the Centre to establish the IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan as ‘shocking’, the Chief Minister has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in setting up such an institute in Orissa.
Drawing the Prime Minister’s attention to the proposal of the IIT, Kharagpur for the upgradation of their extension centre in Orissa to a full-fledged IIT campus, Naveen said that the State Government has also formally recommended the proposal to the Ministry of HRD and conveyed willingness to provide 300 acres of land free of cost for the prestigious project. He requested the Prime Minister to sanction the extension campus also.
CM writes letter to PM on shifting of IIT: Odhisa.com
Shifting of IIT from Orissa opposed, Naveen writes to PM reports Sambad
