JOIN US3 southern technical institutes to be upgraded
The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has initiated a process to upgrade three southern technical institutes to educational centres of national importance.
The first in line is Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), which is to be upgraded to an Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST). The others are Andhra Pradesh University’s College of Engineering and Osmania University’s College of Engineering, which too are expected to get IIEST status during the 12th five-year plan period.
The Kerala government has given its approval for upgrade of CUSAT. “Inter-ministerial consultations, including that with the Planning Commission, have been completed for preparation of the expenditure finance committee note for this,” an HRD ministry official said. For upgrade of the other two institutes, the ministry has sought approval from the Planning Commission. “The Andhra Pradesh government has been requested to forward a proposal for upgrade of these two institutes,” the official said.
The initiative to upgrade these three institutions was taken following recommendations of one Anandakrishnan Committee. The ministry had set up this committee in 2005 to assess the potential of some select institutions for upgrade to institutes of national importance.
In its report submitted in February 2006, the panel listed five institutes, including CUSAT, Andhra Pradesh University’s College of Engineering and Osmania University’s College of Engineering, recommending that the government should upgrade them to institutes of national importance through an Act of Parliament.
The Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Bengal Engineering College, Shibpur, were given status of Indian Institute of Technology and IIEST, respectively, over the last two years.
“All the IIESTs will together constitute a new system of institutions in technical education, developed by transforming promising existing technological institutions,” a ministry official said.
The governance system of these institutions will be on a par with that of the IITs. “There will be a common council for all the IIESTs. Its policies for admission of students and appointment of faculty and staff will be analogous to those of the IITs,” a ministry official said.