Following are excerpts from the IIT Bhubaneswar convocation brochure.
Temporary Campuses
The Institute is currently operating from a number of campuses which include IIT Kharagpur Extension Centre at Samantapuri, Toshali Campus at Satyanagar and Workshop cum laboratory complex at Samantapuri. The Government of Odisha has provided us about one (1) acre of land on which we have constructed the Workshop cum Laboratory complex (3,010 sq. meters). The Government of Odisha has also made available two towers at Toshali Bhawan (10,000 sq. meters) which we have renovated. We are also getting generous support, in more ways than one, from Institute of Minerals, Metallurgical and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT) and Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC). I sincerely thank all the members of these institutions for their continued support.
IIT Bhubaneswar is well equipped with modern class rooms and undergraduate/research laboratories. All the class rooms are fitted with multimedia projectors, internet facilities and wireless connectivity. The Institute has designed and developed three virtual class rooms (VCR) sponsored by National Knowledge Network (NKN). These virtual class-rooms are equipped with high end AV and teaching equipment and are connected to the NKN by means of a dedicated 1Gbps leased line. The VCR facilities provide real time interaction among the students and faculty members of our Institute and those from other institutions.
IITs are known for the de rigueur to have a residential campus in order to facilitate one-to-one human interaction. The Government of Odisha has provided us 14 flats at Government Colony, Gajapati Nagar. We have found cooperation from the housing society in SBI Colony Kesura (10 km from city centre) wherein we have hired 65 HIG/ MIG flats for the accommodation of our students, few of our staff and faculty members. Another hostel at Madanpur (15 km from the city centre) has been provided for M. Tech. students and Ph. D. scholars. In addition, IIT Kharagpur has constructed a new 200 capacity Dr. A. N. Khosla Hall of Residence at Samantapuri for the students of this Institute. I take this opportunity to thank IIT Kharagpur for constructing the hostel which is of great convenience to us. I would also like to put on record my deep appreciation to the students, the staff and faculty members who have to commute regularly between their residence and the various academic campuses. I am aware that this is strenuous. But I am hopeful that our students, faculty and staff members would bear it and be a part of the history in the making.
Permanent Campus
The Foundation Stone of the permanent campus at Arugul (near Jatni) was laid on 12th February 2009. The Government of Odisha allotted 936 acres of land at Arugul for developing this IIT of which the Institute has already taken possession of 598 acres. The Government of Odisha has started construction of a 4-lane access road to the campus from the National Highway No. 5. The work on water and electric supplies to the campus is also in progress. The Government of Odisha has also agreed to provide 75 acres of land on the Puri–Konark coast line to set up an Innovation Centre for Climate Change for the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences.
Out of 19 km, construction of 13 km of boundary wall has been completed. More than 10 bore wells have been sunk to facilitate construction work. The Institute has also taken up tree plantation programme for its new campus.
The master plan of the new campus at Arugul has been approved for 10,000 students, 1000 faculty and 1100 supporting staff and the total construction should be completed in 3-phases in next 12-15 years. The Ground Breaking Ceremony was organized on 14th August 2011. The work for land grading, road and other related construction have started. The Government of India has approved construction of 221,000 sq. meters of covered area in the 1st phase. Our consultant has completed the designing of 130,000 sq. meters of covered areas for various Schools, residential quarters, hostels and other service/administrative buildings for construction based on the availability of fund in the initial phase. Clearances for construction from various statutory bodies have been obtained. The tendering process for part of the construction is over and I am very happy to announce that CPWD has just started the construction of the hostel complex. Our consultant and CPWD are also ready for tendering for the remaining part of construction. The Institute plans to move to its permanent campus by the beginning of 2014.
Academics
Academic Schools We began our journey with a mission to promote a borderless academic environment with the concept of Schools, rather than Departments to enable and encourage the academic staff and students to work in an interdisciplinary environment. Initially the following five (5) schools were set up:
â— School of Basic Sciences (Bioscience, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics)
â— School of Electrical Sciences (Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Energy, Instrumentation, Learning Sciences)
â— School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management (Economics, English, Management, Psychology)
â— School of Infrastructure (Architecture, Civil Engineering, Town Planning, Traffic & Transportation Engineering Urban Design)
â— School of Mechanical Sciences (Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture)
The state of Odisha and neighborhood including the vast coastline is rich in mineral resources and biodiversity. The region is also adversely affected by flood, cyclone and other natural calamities. In view of this, the Institute has set up the following two (2) Schools:
â— School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences
â— School of Mineral, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
The Institute is also setting up an Innovation Centre for Climate Change on the Puri-Konark coast line. The following Schools are proposed to be set up in the second phase of expansion:
â— School of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (Biochemical, Biomedical and Chemical)
â— School of Design and Creative Arts
Academic Activities
The Institute started its journey in 2008 with a total of 94 students in three (3) undergraduate programmes viz. Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, with an intake of 40 students in each programme. The Institute has introduced Ph. D. programme from 2009. From July 2012 we have started postgraduate (Joint M. Tech. – Ph. D.) programmes in Electronics & Communication Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Climate Science & Technology, Applied Geoscience and Materials Science & Engineering. The Institute is going to start Joint M. Sc. – Ph. D. program in Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics and Mathematics from the next academic session.
Currently the Institute has 571 students (B. Tech. 456; Preparatory 2; M. Tech. 41; Ph. D. 72), 70 full-time faculty members, 1 Chair Professor, 6 officers and 40 supporting staff.
It is heartening to note that the pioneer batch of undergraduate students who are receiving their degree today are all placed. Many of the students have received offer of admission/scholarships from prestigious universities abroad: Stanford University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Cornel University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Texas, Imperial College of London to name a few.
Research & Development
Activities: In-house, Sponsored, Consultancy Our faculty members, research scholars and undergraduate students have been actively pursuing research in varying areas. The Institute has received a number of sponsored projects from various funding agencies like DST, CSIR, DBT and DRDO and consultancy from industries worth more than Rupees 480 lakhs. The faculty members are also engaged in various consultancy activities. Project proposals worth more than Rupees 700 lakhs have been submitted.
IIT Bhubaneswar has been successful in its bid for the following UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) projects:
Joint Masters and Split-Site Ph. D. Programme: An Integrated Doctoral and Masters Programme with the University of Warwick – To develop an integrated suite of postgraduate joint degree programmes.
Thematic Partnerships Programme 1: UKIERI Thematic Partnership in Low Carbon Materials Technologies, Innovation and Application jointly with the University of Warwick – To enable the rapid and effective introduction of new steel and multi-material combinations, for new applications addressing the global imperative of carbon reduction.
Thematic Partnerships Programme 2: UKIERI Thematic Partnership jointly with the University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre and University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth – To establish the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar and Marine Campus on the Bay of Bengal.
I would like to highlight in brief the ongoing R&D activities in various Schools:
The School of Basic Sciences is a cluster of disciplines namely Bioscience, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. The School is carrying out research in the areas of multimetallic catalysis, organometallic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, coordination chemistry, synthesis of natural products and intermediates. The research work in biosciences is focused on understanding the structure and function of various proteins of eye lenses, leprosy, and tuberculosis. The research in high energy physics is focused on understanding fundamental particles and their interaction using theoretical tools such as string theory, and experimental setup in collaboration with CERN, Geneva. Specific areas include conformed field theory, pure spinor formalism of superstrings, super symmetry and black holes. A number of projects have been undertaken in the area of the plasmonics, photonics, ion-surface interactions, design and development of sensors, magnetic grids, energy storage devices and optoelectronic devices. Multidisciplinary work is underway in the area of nanomaterial-based device design, assembling and clustering. On-going research in mathematics includes complex dynamics and fractals, variational inequalities and complementary problems, queuing theory, mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, algebraic graph theory, neural network and artificial intelligence.
The major R & D activities of the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences includes monitoring, prediction and providing mitigation solutions for natural disasters with sound and precise observational network of meteorological, oceanographic, geological and geophysical instruments combined with data-assimilative modeling in a multi-institutional framework and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), thereby becoming a hub of such activities on the east coast of India with an international presence. The thrust areas are: Climate Modeling, Modeling of extreme events, Cloud Physics, Numerical Weather Prediction, Natural Resources-exploration and utilization, Climate Change and its Effects, Biological Oceanography, Application of the Space Technology for the Study of the Earth System Science, Soil Water Interactions, Waste Utilization, and Pollutant Pathways.
The research activities in the School of Electrical Sciences includes the following: Antenna Design, Smart Antenna Techniques for MIMO Systems, Radio Frequency Identification System Design & Application, Non-Destructive Testing Methods, Digital Signal Processing, Speech & Real Time Interactive-Audio Processing, Active Noise Control, Cognitive Radio, Sensor Networks, Intelligent Instrumentation, OptoElectronic Devices, Long-haul Optical Communication System Design, Optical Sensor, Communication & Wireless Communication System Modeling & Design, Semiconductor Material & Device Characterization, Wide Band Gap Semiconductor Devices, MMICS, Decoupling & Robust Control, Periodic Feedback Control, Power Quality Analysis, Custom Power Devices, Renewable Energy Sources, Application of SoftComputing Techniques to Power Systems, Intelligent Protection to Transmission Systems-Facts, Micro & Smart Grids, Distributed Generation & Dynamic Security Assessment in Large Power Network, Structural Health, Integrity Analysis & Monitoring (SHIM).
The School of Humanities, Social Science & Management is pursuing research in the areas of Environmental Economics, Natural Resources Economics, Macroeconomics, Development, Economics & Rural Development, Indian Writing in English, Post-Colonial Literature, Travel Writing, Business Communication, American Literature, Canadian Literature, ELT, Cross Cultural Communication, Autobiography, Consumer Behaviour, Cyber Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Psycholinguistics, Psychology of Personality, Marketing.
The present research in the School of Infrastructure are in the thrust areas of Concrete Technology, Earthquake Engineering, Traffic Flow Modeling, Travel Demand Modeling, Travel Behaviour Analysis, Transportation System Planning & Policy Address, Energy Geotechnology, Soil-Structure Interaction, Fluvial Hydraulics, Waste Water Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Study of Unsaturated Soils Behavior.
The School of Mineral, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering is actively pursuing research in the areas of Solidification Processing, Metal Matrix Composites, Ti-Based Alloy, Automotive Applications, In-situ Metal Matrix Composites, Semi-solid Processing, StructureProperty-Processing Correlations in Metals, High Cycle Fatigue and Fracture in Metals, Friction Stir Welding/Processing, Modeling & Simulation, Structural & Magnetic Frustration of Materials, Synchrotron and Neutron diffraction, 3-D Atom probe (LEAP), Metallic Glasses, Process Modeling & Study of Diffusion in Solids.
The School of Mechanical Sciences conducts R&D activities in the following areas: Computer-Aided Design & Manufacturing, Robotics & Controls, IC Engines, Multi-Phase Flow, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Conjugate Heat Transfer, High Reynolds Number Turbulence, Optical Flow Diagnostics, Turbulence Modeling & Simulation and Acoustics, Composite Materials, Sandwich Structures, Fracture Mechanics, Material Science, Green Supply Chain Management.
Publications
Within 3 years of existence in the city of Bhubaneswar, the faculty members and students have contributed to creating new knowledge by publishing 230 original research papers in National and International Journals of repute, and 20 books/book-chapters. Besides, 128 papers have been presented in various National and International Conferences in India and abroad. Our undergraduate students have also made technical presentations in conferences, nationally and internationally.
Endowment
Industries have come forward to join us in developing this new IIT. The MGM Minerals Group has established a perpetual “MGM Chair Professorship” in the School of Minerals, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering with an endowment of Rs 300 lakhs. In addition the MGM Minerals Group has instituted two awards for best B. Tech. theses (Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) in memory of Tejaswi and Dinesh, two budding students of our Institute, whom we lost in a tragic train accident in March 2011.
October 10th, 2012
[**UPDATE: Official AIIMS Bhubaneswar web page is now at http://aiimsbhubaneswar.org/ and a new one will come up at http://aiimsbhubaneswar.edu.in. **]
We have collected some information on AIIMS Bhubaneswar below. Hope it is useful to the 2012-13 batch of selected students and faculty. Latest information is at this facebook album.
Prof. A.K. Mahapatra (Currently Professor & Head of the Dept. Of Neurosurgery at the
Neurosciences Centre, AIIMS, NEW DELHI-11029) has been selected as the founding director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar. He is waiting for his release from AIIMS New Delhi to formally take on his new position. His contact details are mentioned in his CV.
[Update on 16th August 2012: From today’s news it seems Prof. Mahapatra has formally taken charge of the Director’s position and has taken some immediate actions.]
Earlier news on AIIMS Bhubaneswar are categorized here or here. A few years back we compiled some information on Odisha and Bhubaneswar which may come in handy.
If anyone has any related questions please put a comment and we will try to answer. But first, please explore the above mentioned links. One may also explore the links in the right hand side of this page and the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/odishagrowth.
July 31st, 2012
As per this Business Standard article out of 35 students that graduated from NISER Bhubaneswar this year 11 are going abroad for Ph.D (to places such as Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Stony Brook), 5 are going to TIFR for PhD, 2 are going to IISc Bangalore, 4 to NII Delhi and 4 to various IITs. This adds up to 26.
Even when a lot of IIT students were going abroad, no department of any IIT was sending so many to pursue Ph.D.
Kudos to NISER to live up to the dreams and goals behind establishing the IISERs and NISER.
Finally, considering the angst of some of the alumni of the IISERs (especially IISER Pune) kudos to NISER for holding its own entrance exam (and not take students from IIT JEE) so that students who come into NISER are more in synch with the institution in terms of their expectation. (Update: Just to be clear, now, IIT JEE is only one of the three means to get admitted to IISERS. The other two are via KVPY and an aptitude test.)
June 27th, 2012
Following is from a PTI report in zeenews.
The proposed innovation universities in the country would be supported by research councils, which would not only identify potential areas of research but also extend advisory services in other areas.
Every university for research and innovation will have such a council headed by a director. These varsities shall present its report annually highlighting its achievements on their website.
The proposed innovation universities, a Bill of which was introduced in Parliament last week, are to be set up during the 12th Plan Period.
The hallmark of the legislation is that each university would focus on one area or problem of significance to India and build an eco-system of research and training around different related disciplines.
In keeping with this objective, each of the council of the university concerned shall interface with research funding organisations, industry and civil society to identify potential areas for research in areas of enterprise.
Besides, the council will assist the teachers in obtaining funding from external sources for research projects prepared by them, according to the provisions of the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012.
The Bill seeks to set up the universities both in the public as well as the private sectors.
As per the provisions, each of these universities would offer exposure to an international classroom environment, with a minimum of 50 per cent of the students from India.
Each of the research council will be headed by a director and members, the strength of which would be specified by the board of governors of the university concerned.
The council will also provide for incubation of applications emerging from research undertaken in such university.
Importantly, it shall make provisions for research and advisory service for which it would enter into agreement with other institutes, industry, civil society and other organisations and enable the results and benefits of research to be disseminated to the public.
According to the Bill, the research council shall present its annual output on its website three years after the establishment of the university and each year thereafter.
Each of the university would have autonomy in matters of academics, faculty, personnel and finances administration.
May 28th, 2012
Update: Following is an excerpt from a PTI report in Zeenews.
A bill which seeks to provide for establishment of universities focussed on innovation and research was introduced in Parliament on Monday.
The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012 was tabled in the Lok Sabha by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.
The Bill seeks to set up the universities both in the public as well as the private sectors.
Each university on research and innovation would provide for the knowledge and economic needs of the country by creating professionals, specialists, scientists and researchers and generate new knowledge to support the national innovation system.
According to the provisions of the Bill, each of these universities would offer exposure to an international classroom environment, with a minimum of 50 per cent of the students being Indian.
The hallmark of the legislation is that each university would focus on one area or problem of significance to India and build an eco-system of research and training around different related disciplines.
These universities would have autonomy in matters of academics, faculty, personnel and finances administration.
The President would be the visitor of the publicly funded universities.
The Bill, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet early this month, does not specify the target of 14 such universities as was proposed earlier.
Following is from a report by Basant Kumar Mohanty in Telegraph.
The Union cabinet today cleared a proposed “omnibus law” under which central or private theme-based universities can be set up with Parliament’s approval without enacting a separate law for each institution as is the rule now.
The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012, does not apply to general universities but only to “innovation universities” — those where teaching and research will focus on specific areas such as environment, astrophysics, urban planning or the liberal arts.
Universities are now set up individually through legislation by Parliament or a state’s Assembly. Once Parliament passes the new bill, which could be introduced in the current budget session, innovation universities can be established through an executive order followed by parliamentary approval, which will make the process faster.
It will also allow the establishment of as many theme-based universities as the Centre wants as long as they fulfil the set requirements. They can be set up in the public, private or public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
The government plans to set up a few such universities on its own. The bill allows internationally acclaimed foreign universities with at least 50 years of standing in their countries to collaborate with Indian entities to set up innovation universities.
Private bodies such as registered societies, trusts or companies registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act and foreign institutions will be termed “promoters” and will have to sign a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the government to set up innovation universities, either through collaboration or independently.
The promoter will apply to the government and send a detailed project proposal carrying information such as the vision plan, areas of focus, and how the land and funds will be mobilised.
If the proposal is found acceptable, the government will sign an MoA with the promoter, notify it and place it before Parliament, which will have the right to reject or amend it. The promoter cannot take away the profits from education activities but must plough them back into the institution for its development.
These universities can appoint by invitation anyone with academic distinction and professional achievements as professor or assistant professor. They can also appoint by invitation, as assistant professor, any graduate student with academic distinction and exceptional talent for research.
May 11th, 2012
The following is an excerpt from http://ibnlive.in.com/news/coming-up-innovation-centre-for-climate-change/251002-60-117.html.
India will very soon have the first-ever Innovation Centre for Climate Change (ICCC) to cover the Bay of Bengal. It will come up on the Konark-Puri road. The Centre will function under the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar (IITB).
The Bay of Bengal Coastal Observatory (BOBCO) as it has been named will study the behaviour of the Bay of Bengal. With the completion of the observatory, the country will be able to forecast extreme weather conditions and collect data about the ocean behaviour and numerous other details like the physical, chemical, biological and Geo-scientific data. “All this information will be instrumental in preparing a model for understanding cyclone. We would have understood the 1999 cyclone better if we had this observatory back then,” said Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences Prof Prem Chand Pandey.
Its working will be different from the Meteorological Department (MET) as the ICCC will look into the causes behind the occurrences in the ocean while MET department records the ocean behaviour and gives continuous information.
The ICCC will come up along with the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Science (SEOCS) under IITB. The SEOCS, which will come up at Arugul, will be headed by Prof Subhashish Tripathy. The State Government had allotted around 936 acre land for the construction of the SEOCS. It also recently allotted around 75 acres for setting up of the observatory.
… For the setting up of the observatory, IITB is working closely with University of Massachusetts and University of South Hampton. They will also conduct the Ocean Instrumentation Training Programme to train people with the advanced instruments that will be used in the ICCC. “There will be around 12 faculties initially, but with the gradual growth of the school, more and more experienced faculties will be brought in,” said Tripathy. The recruitment process has already begun. The institute also has ambitious plans to conduct research in the field of land, ocean and atmosphere, added Pandey.
April 23rd, 2012
Following is rearranged from http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=82396. The sub-headings are added by me.
On 14 Innovation Universities
Recognizing the need for leveraging on the creative knowledge, we are also planning to set up 14 Innovation Universities, to begin with, aiming at world class standards which will set benchmarks for excellence for the Central and State Universities. Each of the Innovation University shall consistently aspire for attainment of pinnacle of knowledge and will provide the knowledge manpower of the country in training professionals, specialists, scientists and researchers needed by the supporting national innovation system. Government has already framed a legislation for Universities of Research and Innovation which will provide a facilitating framework for creation of these institutions. These universities would be embedded in ecosystems developed for promoting synergies among education, research and incubation centres or industry
In order to be truly innovative, these Innovation Universities will not be clones of each other, but will focus on one deep theme of innovation and will focus on one area or problem of global significance in general and India in particular, by building an ecosystem of research and teaching around related discipline and fields and will search for solutions that are globally valid. For example, such areas may focus on urbanization public health, water security, environmental sustainability, digital literacy etc. The proposed universities will be autonomous in true sense, designing their own knowledge disciplines, admission criteria, academic programmes, credit systems etc. The programmes shall also facilitate horizontal mobility across disciplines.
…
We have realized that traditional models of public funded universities are not enough as the investment required is too high. We do acknowledge the need for policies to encourage private investment in higher education and the Foreign Education Providers’ Bill, now under consideration of the Parliament, is a decisive step in that direction. Although Government will be prime facilitator of the new innovation universities and innovation clusters, it is also proposed to focus on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) mode. It is also proposed to collaborate with Universities elsewhere in the world and they may be invited to set up similar such institutions in India and Government will support its research and establishment needs and teaching including scholarships may be funded by the promoting university. New Greenfield Innovation Universities supporting an already existing University/Institution of repute to attain world class standards through innovation in chosen areas of knowledge as well as Identification of some educational hubs in the country, where a few institutions of excellence are located and create an architecture of Innovation University by promoting synergy for teaching and research among such institutions are the models that we are aiming at promoting.
Cluster Innovation Centers
We have also planned creation of Cluster Innovation Centres in our Higher Education Institutions for promoting linkages for innovations, and R&D for solving the real problems and creation of products and processes for which systemic reforms have already been initiated for facilitating the linkages with industry and society. The Cluster Innovation Centres will provide a platform for the University and its partners to forge linkages between various stakeholders from industry and academia and to act as catalysts and facilitators. We have prepared a blueprint for setting up about 50 innovation centres of excellence in different frontier areas. Cambridge Cluster in UK as well as Trinity College founded by Cambridge Science Park are two prominent examples from UK which have promoted the growth of enterprise and innovation and created thriving innovation ecosystems. Such examples also exists in US (MIT, Silicon Valley – Stanford University), Israel, Germany, Sweden, Japan, China and Korea. Biggest strength of these clusters has been the cooperation and collaboration, where all actors are connected in symbiotic relationships. We are also aiming to scale up such National Innovation Clusters. We already have a few such schemes in the form of Technology Business Incubators and Technology Entrepreneur Promotion.
Collaboration with UK
The Cluster Innovation Centers and Innovation Universities are the specific areas in which we seek further collaboration with UK Institutions who have already innovated and scaled up by creating appropriate framework and institutionalized the same successfully.
Meta Universities
Seizing the new opportunities and leveraging the National Knowledge Network, the National Innovation Council has also proposed to create the first Global Meta University. With a network of Universities coming together offering courses cutting across disciplines, the Meta University will reinterpret the concept of a University as not just a traditional, physical space of learning, but as a repository of knowledge and information that can be delivered in multiple ways, and can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. It will seek to enhance the learning experience through new and innovative delivery models of education that allow students and institutions to collaborate in unprecedented ways. Thus the 21st century meta-university would be a network and an ecosystem rather than a single brick and mortar space – a Facebook of Institutions. A few central institutions located at Delhi, like Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, Jamia-Millia Islamia and IIT-Delhi have already initiated steps to constitute a meta-university. Here also, we are looking forward to collaborate with Institutions from the United Kingdom in the next step for creation of global meta alliances. Though the internet and technology are fundamental to this conception of the Meta University, at the crux is not a new technology but a ‘new pedagogy’ that is more in tune with the requirements of the knowledge society of the 21st century. In such an environment there is a greater focus on a learner centric, collaborative model that allows continuous learning from the environment.
April 20th, 2012
So far IIT Bhubaneswar only offered B.Tech and Ph.D programs. It has now advertised its new M.Tech programs which are actually joint M.Tech-Ph.D programs that allow one with GPA greater than 8 (after doing the M.Tech coursework) to seamlessly transition to a Ph.D program or just get an M.Tech degree. The details of the program is given at http://www.iitbbs.ac.in/applicationforms/advt/Information-for-Admission-to-Joint-M.Tech.-Ph.D.Programme.pdf.
Following are some excerpts from that.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BHUBANESWAR
INFORMATION FOR JOINT M. TECH. – PH.D. PROGRAMME Joint M. Tech. – Ph. D. Programme in:
* Applied Geosciences
* Civil Engineering
* Climate Science & Technology
* Electronics & Communication Engineering
* Materials Science and Engineering
* Mechanical Engineering
Selection: Valid GATE score followed by Written Test and/or Interview. Opting for Ph. D. Programme:
Desirous students with CGPA greater than equal to 8 after the 3rd semester of the M. Tech. programme with an aptitude towards research can opt for Ph. D. Those students with CGPA less than 8 will exit with M. Tech. degree after successfully completing the fourth semester and the credit requirements.
… Number of Seats: 18 in each programme. (Reservation as per GOI norms applicable).
In addition to the above mentioned joint M.Tech/Ph.D program IIT Bhubaneswar has also advertised for direct admission to its Ph.D programs in each of its seven schools .
See http://www.iitbbs.ac.in/applicationforms/advt/Information-for-Admission-to-Ph.D.Programme.pdf for details.
With these programs added and currently with only 120 B.Tech students admitted per year, IIT Bhubaneswar will have more graduate students (M.Tech and Ph.D) admitted per year than undergraduate students (B.Tech). This is a good direction and IIT Bhubaneswar should strive to have more graduate students than undergraduate students thus putting emphasis on research.
April 14th, 2012
Following is an excerpt from a report in Hindu.
The Tagore University for the Liberal Arts, first institution to be established under the Human Resource Development Ministry’s once ambitious Universities for Innovation programme, will be set up in Pune. But, ironically, the word ‘innovation’ will be missing from the nomenclature of the institution. For, the group of experts, which was asked to draft a concept for such institutions, fears that such an emphasis is likely to inhibit its creative potential.
The task of such an “institution should be, not to presume an elite status for itself, but to create excellence by drawing freely upon the best talent from all sections of the populace, and fostering it to the furthest extent possible in a climate of international exchange and awareness. Ultimately, such an institution might be the first of many, and it might also provide a model for other existing universities,” the group said in its report submitted to the Ministry.
On its part, the Ministry is finalising the concept paper so that it can send the toned down version of the Universities for Innovation Bill, 2011 for Cabinet clearance.
The proposal to set up 14 such world-class universities was made during the tenure of the former HRD Minister, Arjun Singh, and even the locations were finalised with the Planning Commission. Under the new regime, it was decided to convert these universities into institutions of innovation in different areas of societal concerns. They were then named Universities for Innovation, each expected to focus on its theme in an interdisciplinary manner. However, the revised draft Bill does not give any number for such universities.
… The experts include theatre personality Girish Karnad, academics Supriya Chaudhuri and Sunil Khilnani, and writer Ramachandra Guha.
According to the group’s note, the task of the Tagore University for the Liberal Arts should be to promote both arts and science under the rubric of liberal arts, in an interdisciplinary environment which allows creative interchange of scholars from different fields. The university will have five schools: School of Humanities for teaching languages, literature, philosophy, cultural studies and creative writing; School of Social Sciences for teaching history, politics, sociology, economics and human sciences; School of Sciences for mathematical studies, biological sciences, physical sciences and environmental science; School of Performing Arts for dance, theatre, music, film and sports; and School of Visual and Applied Arts for painting, sculpture, graphic, arts, textile arts, crafts, design and photography.
The experts group has recommended that the university should have a Research Fund with an annual corpus of Rs 200 crore, administered by a Research Council with both internal and external members. ….
The university can invite applications for a proportion of its posts from non-Indian citizens who are outstanding scholars, artists, writers and scientists so as to promote international cooperation and exchange of ideas. The guests will be entitled to special salary provisions, in excess of the pay scales stipulated by the University Grants Commission or other such regulatory body.
March 12th, 2012
Following is an excerpt from a report in Orissadiary.
Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik today met the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi. Chief Minister informed the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare that the proposal to raise the number of seats for admission to MBBS Course from 150 to 250, would necessitate significant increase in the infrastructure of the Medical Colleges in the State.
He requested that the three Medical Colleges of the State may be approved for upgradation to AIIMS like Institutions under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) along with sanction of Rs.432 crore for the purpose. He added that the State has identified an alternative site for establishment of a Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences at Bhubaneswar for which Government of India may sanction the funds forming part of Central Share component.
… Chief Minister urged upon the Union Minister to appreciate the just needs of the State for augmenting medical infrastructure and creating new specialized medical institutions. He requested the Union Minister to establish a National Cancer Institute at Bhubaneswar and a Regional Geriatric Centre at SCB Medical College, Cuttack. He further informed that State has already identified 20 acres of land for setting up of the Central Research Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy. Accordingly, Government of India may sanction the required funds to enable early establishment of the Institute along with 100 bedded Hospital, at the earliest.
… The Union Minister assured the Chief Minister that the issues raised by him will receive priority attention of the Ministry. He agreed to provide necessary funds for upgrading the infrastructure of the three Medical Colleges in the State.
… Union Minister promised to take urgent steps for establishing the Regional Institute of Para Medical Sciences at Bhubaneswar.
He assured that the Central Share for the Odisha State Treatment Fund shall be released very shortly and that additional funds will be provided for strengthening the Regional Cancer Centre at Cuttack. Further, the request of Odisha for a stand-alone Cancer Institute will be considered as and when adequate funds are available for the purpose in the Central Budget.
Union Minister agreed to establish a Regional Geriatric Centre at SCB Medical College, Cuttack and requested that Government of Odisha may handover the identified 20 acres of land for setting up of Central Research Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy.
We have been writing the CMO and others about approaching the Health ministry regarding the upgradation of the state medical colleges. See:
It took a long time, but its good that he finally did it.
I hope he also pursues a Central Agricultural University in Odisha. More on this in a separate post.
March 7th, 2012
