State may get IIT, second IIM in 12th Plan

Country will spend Rs 2.31 lakh crore on RTE, says HRD Minister

Speaking to mediapersons after laying the foundation-stone for the Central University of Karnataka at Kadaganchi in Aland taluk, about 20 km from here on Friday, Sibal ruled out the possibility of establishing any new IIT in the country during the rest of the 11th Plan period. Replying to a question on the long pending demand for establishing an IIT in Karnataka, preferably in the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region, Sibal said though may sympathise with the demand, he had no powers to take a decision.

“The decision on setting up IITs has to be taken at the highest level, that is, by the Prime Minister. Kanataka’s demand for new IIT would be considered during the 12th plan period,’’ Sibal said.

Earlier in his speech at the function state’s Higher Education Minister V S Acharya had urged Kapil Sibal to sanction an IIT to be set up in Raichur.

Monitoring committee

On the implementation of the highly ambitious Right to Education Act ensuring free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years, Sibal said he would soon constitute a monitoring committee at the national-level to oversee its implementation by the States.

He claimed that all states including Karnataka have shown interest and committed for effective implementation of the Act. He made it clear that the Act will have to be implemented by all states in three years and all untrained teachers all over the country will have to be trained within five years.

Addressing the gathering, Sibal said the country was required to spend a whopping Rs 2.31 lakh crore in the next five years for implementing the RTE Act. The Centre’s share will be 68 per cent while the states will have to contribute 32 per cent. To achieve the target of increasing enrolment of youth in higher education from the current 12 per cent to 30 per cent by the year 2020 it was required to open 800 new universities and 45,000 new colleges. Union Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and others were present.