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The Ministry of HRD had constituted an Expert committee under Prof. S.K. Joshi, Ex. Director-General, CSIR. The Committee was set up on 5.11.2003 and gave its report on 17.2.2005, after a period of more than a year. In its report, the Committee short-listed 7 institutions in order of merit, taking into consideration all the relevant parameters.
The committee further emphasized that all these 7 institutions fall far below the level of existing IITs in all criteria used for short listing. In the light of the substantial gap between the selected institutions and the IITs, the committee felt that it would not be correct to position these institutions straightaway alongside the IITs. Such a step may even be seen to be to the detriment to the stature of the existing IITs. Such a step may even be seen to be the detriment to the stature of existing IITs. The Committee, therefore, suggested that these 7 institutions may be described as institutions possessing the best potential among the engineering the technology colleges in the country for upgradation to the level of IITs. Further, the Committee in its Report has suggested that before taking the final decision on the above recommendations, the Ministry may like to set up a small expert group. The Group would need to visit the institutions to assess their suitability. The Group can also arrive at the quantum of one-time financial support needed for managing such a transformation of these institutions in the event the Government decides to upgrade any one of them.
Instead of constituting yet another expert committee, this issue was placed before the Standing Committee of the Council of IITs, held under the chairmanship of Prof. C.N.R. Rao on 5th March, 2005. The Directors of the 7 IITs are Members of the Committee. The Standing Committee was of a unanimous opinion that quality of technical education cannot be ensured by just increasing the number of IITs since IITs have a brand name and the same need not be diluted. The Standing Committee further agreed unanimously to recommend to the Council of IITs and the Ministry of HRD that instead of conversion of these institutions into IITs, a differential treatment can be extended to them so that they develop further. It has also been decided to call a meeting of the seven short listed institutions to discuss in detail the differential treatment that can be extended them.
It may be mentioned that the Report of S.K. Joshi Committee and the recommendations of the Standing committee of the Council of IITs are still under consideration of the Government and no final decision has yet been arrived at. The Ministry has also replied to the Lok Sabha unstarred question no. 3029 on 22.3.2005 asked by Hon’ble MP Shri Badiga Ramakrishna, on the issue.
MN/SPS/DT
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