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IITs decide to ‘almost double’ intake, open new campuses
All set to expand, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will be “nearly doubling” their present intake, opening new campuses and introducing new courses.
According to sources, IIT-Roorkee has already zeroed in on NOIDA to locate its new campus while at least two other IITs are “scouting for land.”
Though the attempt by IIM, Bangalore to open a campus in Singapore had ran into trouble with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, IIT expansion plans have the full backing of the HRD Ministry.
Asked if the IITs were contemplating a campus abroad, one of the IIT directors said “It is a question of how one prioritises, IITs are keen to expand within India.”
IIT-Delhi is likely to open a campus in Rajasthan, either in Jaipur or Alwar. IIT-Chennai will start a research centre in BHEL at Trichy, keeping the option of developing it into a campus later. IIT-Mumbai, which had signed an MoU with the Goa government four years ago, is pursuing the project to start a campus there. It will also upgrade its present campus in Powai. IIT-Kanpur too will have a new campus.
| Who’s going where • IIT Roorkee: Identifies land in NOIDA • IIT-Delhi: Eyes Rajasthan, campus either in Jaipur or Alwar • IIT-Chennai: Research centre at BHEL in Trichy, may develop it into campus later • IIT-Mumbai: Wants to start campus in Goa. May upgrade Powai campus • IIT-Kanpur: Also wants to open a new campus |
Those state governments who can pitch-in with land and some resources will stand a better chance. The intake increase will be across the board, including the flagship B.Tech programmes in all IITs.Moreover, all IITs will start a string of new programmes, mostly in social sciences. IIT Chennai has already unveiled its new five-year integrated MA in Humanities and other IITs are in the process. Delhi IIT will have a Policy Research Centre in collaboration with a foreign partner. Most new courses will be five-year integrated MA programmes in different social science streams, meant to “further add value to the brand IIT”. IITs are also in the process of enhancing coordination amongst themselves to ensure uniformity in standards. All IIT directors met in Roorkee in January 2006 where they discussed these issues. A meeting of all registrars too is in the pipeline. It’s not immediately clear how the new initiatives will be funded. Planning Commission sources, who said the Human Resources Development Ministry had made a credible case for increased allotment in higher and technical education, were non-committal on increasing funds. An IIT source said more private participation would be sought.
( www.indianexpress.com)
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