Access, Equity and Quality are focus of new initiatives in Higher Education as per the meeting of the Consultative Committee relating to the Ministry of Human Resource Development which took place earlier today. The meeting chaired by Shri Arjun Singh, Minister for HRD, discussed new initiatives for the 11th Plan in the higher education sector. The Minister for HRD briefed the members on the proposals from the Ministry that had been discussed in the Full Meeting of the Planning Commission. Shri Singh mentioned that the proposed initiatives would not be ready for implementation till the formal approvals of the Planning Commission and the National Development Council (NDC). Members were also informed that while the 10th Plan outlay for higher education, including technical education was approximately Rs.9500 crores, the Ministry was hopeful of getting an outlay several times higher for its Central Plan proposals.
The 11th Plan objectives are aimed at increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio(GER) (access rate) in higher education from the present 10% to 15% by 2012, while ensuring improvement in quality and enhancement of equity. Acknowledging that States’ share in Plan outlay being roughly four times the Central plan outlay, co-opting States to contribute substantially would be critical to the achievement of the Plan objectives. The Ministry’s proposal for the 11th Plan accordingly include incentives to States to allocate higher resources to colleges and universities, partial assistance to setting up of colleges of excellence in as many as 370 districts with low GER and less than four colleges per one lakh of population, special assistance for institutions in 88 minority concentration districts, substantially higher allocation for establishing women’s hostels in order to rectify gender bias in enrolment, removal of regional imbalances through the establishment of 30 new central universities – sixteen of which would be in States which have no Central University at present.
Members were informed that the Central Government has already approached the State Governments to suggest alternative locations in regard to the new Central Universities and the Ministry in consultation with the Planning Commission and the UGC was in the process of working out the concept of world ‘class universities’. The proposals include higher level of assistance to State universities and colleges and also assistance from the UGC to the nearly 150 State universities and 6000 colleges which are not being assisted at present, in order to plug the quality gaps identified by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The Committee was also apprised of other new institutions proposed to be created such as the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University for which a Bill has already been introduced in Parliament, the proposed Workers’ Technical University, introduction of Medical & Engineering Faculties in all Central Universities, the proposed Inter-University Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education, the proposed new Indian Institutes of Technology, the proposed new Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research and Research, Schools of Planning & Architecture, etc..
New initiatives in Technical Education include expansion and upgradation of 200 State Technical Institutions selected on the basis of appropriate criteria; expansion of centrally funded institutions (IITs, IIMs, NIITs, IIITs and NITTTRs (as per Oversight Committee recommendations for inclusion, expansion and excellence); strengthening departments/institutes of management and business administration in university system in view of increased demand for MBAs and limitations of IIMs to expand capacity and also affordability and setting up of new institutions in the XIth Plan (Eight IITs, Seven IIMs, Five IISERs, Two SPAs, 10 NITs, 20 IIITs, and 50 Centres for Training and Research in frontier areas) and also consider the feasibility of increasing the capacities of the existing IITs and IIMs by 200% or so.
Polytechnic education aims to create a pool of skilled manpower to support shop floor and field operations. It is proposed to give a big boost to Polytechnics whose present intake capacity is only about 2.5 lakhs as against 6 lakhs for degree level engineering courses. Ideally, there should be an intake capacity of over 20 lakhs in Diploma courses, even on a conservative basis, for 6 lakh Engineers. Therefore, subject to availability of funds, the Ministry is proposing that the XI Plan must aim to start at least about 1000 new Polytechnics (300 by State Governments, 300 in PPP mode and 400 by Private sector) which will result in the addition of about 2 lakh seats.
Regarding Open and Distance Learning, the Committee was informed that under the National Education Mission Government intends through ICT, to interconnect through Broad Band, all Institutions of national importance/excellence, over 375 universities and about 18600 colleges besides providing them specially generated e-learning material. For example, the e-content for over 150 courses prepared by National Project for Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) through the IITs and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, is already available to all the Institutions free of cost.
While complimenting the Government for these initiatives, members expressed the view that allocation of 6% of the GDP for the education sector was essential to implement these initiatives for which the State Governments would also have to be appropriately encouraged. Several innovative suggestions were also given by members; including the need to popularize ‘earn while you learn schemes,’ removal of disparity in quality between colleges in urban and rural areas, the need for the UGC to review its system of recognition for financial assistance so that more colleges could become eligible, optimum utilization of physical infrastructure through encouragement to evening colleges and working in shifts so as to increase the capacity of intake, need for improving teaching methodology in undergraduate courses in Arts and Sciences through use of multimedia and new pedagogical tools, etc.
Shri Chinta Mohan, Shri Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Shri Rajendrasinh G. Rana, Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria, Km. Bhavana P. Gawali, Shri Haribhau Jawale and Shri Babulal Marandi from Lok Sabha and Shri Raashid Alvi, Prof. P.J. Kurien, Ms. Kanimozhi, Shri Krishna Lal Balmiki and Dr. Ram Prakash from Rajya Sabha attended the meeting.
We appeal to the readers with interest in Orissa to contact their local organization (Outside Orissa, the local Orissa/Oriya/Kalinga organization) and through them send a similar letter to the PM and CM at the earliest. The planning commission has been asked by the PM on September 14th to make the location decisions in two months. So time is running out on this.
It now seems abundantly clear that Orissa is going to miss an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) for the second time. While one after another State is receiving the green signal from the Centre for an IIT, Orissa continues to lag behind.
The Centre on Tuesday announced that it would open a Central university and an IIT in Himachal Pradesh. "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told me to announce a Central university and an IIT," said Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram at Shimla. The announcements come ahead of the Assembly elections in that State due in February next.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said opening up of a Central university and an Institute of Technology (IIT) would boost the educational standards in his hill State.
Earlier, in the last week of August, Virbhadra Singh had presented a memorandum to set up a Central university and an IIT in Himachal Pradesh to the Minister of Human Resource Development and the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister had announced on August 15 that there would be eight new IITs in the country.
After Manmohan Singh’s announcement, at least Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana approached him to set up IITs in their respective States. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is yet to finalise whether to ask for up-gradation of an existing engineering college to an IIT or to go in for a new IIT, said sources.
… Unless the Orissa Government takes an early decision, the State will miss the IIT bus once again, said an IITian. And this would seal the fate of the State so far receiving a new Institute of Technology (IIT) in future, he added.
Leading Non Resident Oriyas (NROs) have requested Naveen Patnaik to claim for a Green field Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Orissa.
Mandarins in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) are busy in sorting out a number of e-mails that flooded from various parts of the Globe.
All most all the e-mail senders have raised serious concern over the indecision over demanding an IIT for the state, when the Prime Minister announced that there will be 8 IITs in the country.
While addressing the nation on 15 August Dr.Man Mohan Singh announced that five more IITs will be established in addition to the newly proposed three IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.
While other states have already staked their claims for IIT including Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Orissa is yet to ask for the same.
“Unless we do the same, we will lose out”, lamented ….
“The Chief Minister must immediately send a letter to the Prime Minister followed up by a vision document”, said …
Joining the issue Priya Ranjan Mahapatra, President of the Orissa Society of Americas (OSA), New York chapter said in the past Orissa has made several different proposals to the Centre.
The proposals including upgrading University College of Engineering (UCE) Burla to an IIT with a budget of about Rs. 300 crores, an IIT Khragpur campus in Bhubaneswar of a budget about Rs.800 crores and a new Greenfield IIT having a budget of Rs. 2000-4000 crores were demanded earlier.
But now we must demand for a Greenfield IIT, said Mr.Mahapatra.
Priyadarshan Patra, Secretary OSA has echoed in the same line and asked Mr.Patnaik to stake the claim immediately in an e-mail.
Dr.Patra has written to the Chief Minister reminding to push the Greenfield IIT in Orissa as that involves the largest amount of investment.
Professor Gopal Mohanty from Canada has also sent an e-mail to the CM and has advised him to act decisively over the issue.
The list is unending, said a senior official in the CMO.
Expressing concern over the issue, leading NRO Dhirendra Kar has ringed up Members of Parliament, the top mandarins of the CMO and state secretariat to act immediately over the issue.
Mr.Kar said that we just have to make sure that the Greenfield location is not exactly in Bhubaneswar but about 100 km away from it in South Orissa.
So that later we can ask for an IIT Kharagpur extension centre at Bhubaneswar, said Mr.Kar.
The eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and seven new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced, are likely to come up in the states of Orissa, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland.
An official source said the government was working on ways to give these institutes an even, regional spread.
The states will be selected on the basis of their economic and social status. A count is being done on the number of engineering and management colleges that these states have currently and their student population.
For instance, Jammu and Kashmir has a high chance of getting either an IIT or an IIM as it has only five engineering colleges and four management colleges affiliated to the University of Jammu and University Kashmir.
Among the states in the West, Rajasthan could also be considered as Gujarat and Maharashtra already have an IIM and an IIT, respectively. In the East, with Shillong having an IIM now and Guwahati having an IIT, Mizoram and Nagaland could stand a chance, said a source close to the development.
Among the southern states, Andhra Pradesh could get an IIM or an IIT as Bangalore and Kozhikode have an IIM each and Chennai boasts of an IIT.
The idea of choosing these states to establish these centres of excellence is to maintain a regional balance in the country. This will be done keeping in mind the government?s inclusive growth agenda, the source added.
This is a very speculative news and the writer is unaware that IITs for Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan have already been announced, and IIMs for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have also been announced earlier.
In regards to Orissa, if it comes down to be a choice between an IIT and an IIM, it is definitely preferable to get an IIT, as Orissa already has a top notch business school in XIM, an IIT can have its own business school, and the investment in an IIT is more than 10 times than that of an IIM.
Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced the setting up of eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and 30 central universities in his Independence day speech, the government is shortlisting states where the institutes will be located.
The U.S. produces about 1,400 Ph.D.s in computer science annually and China about 3,000. By stark comparison, India’s annual computer science Ph.D. production languishes at roughly 40. That number is about the same as that for Israel, a nation with roughly 5% of India’s population size.
While India needs all the new IITs, IIITs and Central Universities that the PM announced during his Aug 15 speech, one wonders where from these institutions will get Ph.Ds for their faculty. The government and the IT industry must brainstorm together and come up with a strategy to tackle this. Following are some initial un-coordinated half-baked thoughts.
Start motivating good students from an early age about the value of research. This can be done through science magnet schools.
In IITs and IISc and may be a few other selected institutions have a track similar to MD/PH.D tracks in US medical schools. Students in this track would pursue a B.Tech-P.hD program (no need for MS) and would be given a generous stipends.
To allow more time for IIT/IISc faculty to pursue research and guide Ph.D students these institutions (especially their CS depts.) should take in more M.Tech students and let them do most of the teaching.
Government should open special graduate centers in IT/Computer Science (may be as branches of exisiting IITs) that only focus on research. For example, the IIT Kharagpur center in Bhubaneswar may house a faculty of 5-10 CS professors and offer *only* a Ph.D program in computer science. Such centers may have affiliated faculty (who have Ph.Ds) from nearby engineering colleges. Such centers should be slowly opened in every metropolitan area with 15+ engineering colleges. (The IIITs could have served this purpose but it seems most IIITs are focusing on undergraduate education. Exceptions are IIIT Hyderabad, which has a good research program; IIIT Bangalore which only offers M.Tech and Ph.D and the nascent IIIT Bhubaneswar which will also only have M.Tech and Ph.D program, at least in the beginning. )
Government needs to offer better salary and perks to professors so that more students are attracted to a career in academia.
The PM’s independence day speech will be remembered for a long time for its groundbreaking educational steps. Here, we analyze them vis-a-vis Orissa.
K-12
"We will support 6,000 new high quality schools — one in every block of the country" [Orissa has 314 blocks. Currently the central govt has three kinds of schools: Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Ekalabya Vidyalayas. My guess is these will be Navodaya Vidyalayas. Until now, Navodaya Vidyalayas were being made one per district. Extending it to one per block will do wonders.]
Higher education
"We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrollment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts." [Orissa has 30 districts. As per the NSSO study of 2004-2005, Table 3.14.1 shows that in the 15-19 age group 29% people in Orissa are attending school/college and in the 20-24 age group this number for Orissa is 6.1%. (Both numbers are lowest among all but the small states/UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.) For the Scheduled Tribe population these numbers are 17.1% for the 15-19 age group and 4.1% for the 20-24 age group.]
"We will set up thirty new Central Universities. Every state that does not have a central university will now have one." [Orissa does not have one so it should get one. But considering that there are 23 other existing central universities, making it a total of 53 central universities, Orissa should get two.]
"we are setting up five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research" [The five IISERs are at Pune, Kolkata, Mohali, Bhopal, and Trivendrum. A NISER is being set up in Bhubaneswar.]
"eight new Indian Institutes of Technology" [Three of these IITs are announced to be in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Orissa should get one of the other five IITs.]
"seven new Indian Institutes of Management" [Announcements have been made with respect to Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Shillong. If Orissa gets a new IIT then its chance of getting a new IIM this round is much less. Orissa should try though.]
"twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology." [There will be one in each main states, including Orissa, which does not have one. Existing ones are at Allahabad, Amethi, Jabalpur, and Gwalior and a new one is being established at Kanchipuram. ]
Vocational Education
"We will soon launch a Mission on Vocational Education and Skill Development, through which we will open 1600 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, 10,000 new vocational schools and 50,000 new Skill Development Centres."
"We will ensure that annually, over 100 lakh students get vocational training – which is a four-fold increase from today’s level."
More scholarships
"We should seek not just functional literacy, but good quality education – education that is affordable, accessible, equitable – and available to every boy and girl who seeks to study. For the needy we will provide more scholarships."
Towards this end, our Government has decided to invest in setting up good quality schools across the country. We will support 6,000 new high quality schools — one in every block of the country. Each such school will set standards of excellence for other schools in the area.
As our primary education programmes achieve a degree of success, there is growing demand for secondary schools and colleges. We are committed to universalizing secondary education. An extensive programme for this is being finalized.
We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrolment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts.
The University system, which has been relatively neglected in recent years, is now the focus of our reform and development agenda. We will set up thirty new Central Universities. Every state that does not have a central university will now have one.
In order to promote science and professional education, we are setting up five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, seven new Indian Institutes of Management, and twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology. These will generate new educational opportunities for our youth. I am sure that, working together, we can ensure that at least a fifth of our children go to college as compared to one-tenth now.
The vast majority of our youth seek skilled employment after schooling. Last year I spoke the need for a Vocational Education Mission. Such a Mission is ready to be launched. We will soon launch a Mission on Vocational Education and Skill Development, through which we will open 1600 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, 10,000 new vocational schools and 50,000 new Skill Development Centres.
We will ensure that annually, over 100 lakh students get vocational training – which is a four-fold increase from today’s level. We will seek the active help of the private sector in this initiative so that they not only assist in the training but also lend a hand in providing employment opportunities.
We should seek not just functional literacy, but good quality education – education that is affordable, accessible, equitable – and available to every boy and girl who seeks to study. For the needy we will provide more scholarships.
I wish to see a revolution in the field of modern education in the next few years. It is my fervent desire that India becomes a fully educated, modern, progressive nation. From this historic Red Fort, I would like this message to go to every corner of India – we will make India a nation of educated people, of skilled people, of creative people.
This is the first time eight new IITs have been formally and officially mentioned. Three of these were previously announced to be in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. So it would be a shame if Orissa does not get one of the remaining five.
The Telegraph has an article titled "IIT wake-up bell for backbencher Bengal" where it rues the low performance of students from Bengal in the IIT entrance exams. It concludes with: "Fewer students from Bengal in the IITs and IIMs mean fewer decision makers of tomorrow from Bengal." Orissa has been doing much worse than Bengal, but hardly anyone in Orissa is worried about it. Its time decision makers in Orissa, start worrying about it and taking corrective actions.
India can not progress much if it leaves behind big parts of its population and areas; same is true for Orissa. Unfortunately the most backward areas of India also happen to be in Orissa. We must make sure that these areas are given adequate attention by all governments.
1. Some statistical points on KBK, the most backward districts in Orissa as well as India; on Orissa and on MHRD spending in Orissa.
(a) Population below the poverty line in southern Orissa (of which KBK is a part) is reported to be 89.17% of the people according to the 1999-2000 NSS data and 72% of the families according to the 1997 census.
(b) The literacy rates in the KBK districts are abysmally low. Malkangiri 31.26%, Nabarangpur 34.26%, Rayagada 35.61%, Koraput 36.2%, Nuapada 42.29%, Kalahandi 46.2%, Balangir 54.93%, Sonepur 64.07%. Two adjacent districts also have low literacy: Gajapati 41.73% and Kandhamala 52.95%. The state average is 63.1%.
(c) The tribal population percentage of the KBK districts are as follows: Malkangiri 58.36% (+19.96% SC), Rayagada 56.04% (+14.28% SC), Nabarangpur 55.27% (+15.09% SC), Koraput 50.67% (+13.41% SC), Nuapada 35.95% (+13.09% SC), Kalahandi 28.88% (+17.01% SC), Sonepur 22.11% (+9.5% SC), Balangir 22.06% (+15.39% SC). Two adjacent districts also have high tribal population. They are Kandhamala 51.51% (+18.21% SC) and Gajapati 47.88% (+8.77% SC)
(d) KBK needs sons of the soil, (highly) educated in the soil teachers, doctors, engineers, officers etc. to help in bringing KBK to the main stream of Orissa and India. With a high tribal population, it is important that they have higher education opportunities right where they live as often they do not venture out to Delhi, Hyderabad, Allahabad or Benaras to take advantage of the ST seats in the high quality central universities there and the ones that venture out do not usually return home. In this regard one must note that in the US a major percentage of Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans who have a higher education degree have it from colleges and universities (such as HBCUs — Historically Black Colleges and Universities) near their home rather than in far flung universities.
(e) Central government spending in fully centrally funded higher education institutions in Orissa is towards the bottom among all states in India. A rough calculation in http://www.baral.us/hrd-nh.htm showed that while the central government spent (in 2005-06) per person Rs 4.07 on fully-funded-by-center HRD institution in Orissa, it spent Rs 177.12 in Delhi, Rs 105.42 in Uttaranchal, Rs 105 in Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 77.7 in Assam, Rs 33.78 in Himachal Pradesh, Rs 28.10 in West Bengal, Rs 25.12 in Karnataka, Rs 17.79 in Tamil Nadu, Rs 17.09 in Maharastra, Rs 17.08 in UP, Rs 16.2 in Jharkhand, Rs 16.05 in Andhra, Rs 14.5 in J & K, Rs 13.38 in Punjab, Rs 8.52 in Haryana, Rs 7.9 in Kerala, Rs 7.39 in Chhattisgarh, Rs 7.2 in MP, Rs 4.87 in Gujurat, Rs 2.59 in Rajasthan, and Rs 1.87 in Bihar. Now that an IIT and IIM has been announced for Bihar and an IIT has been announced for Rajasthan, Orissa will be at the bottom.
(f) As per the NSSO study of 2004-2005 Orissa is at the bottom of most higher education parameters. For example, Table 3.14.1 shows that in the 15-19 age group 29% people in Orissa are attending school/college and in the 20-24 age group this number for Orissa is 6.1%. (Both numbers are lowest among all but the small states/UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.) For the Scheduled Tribe population
these numbers are 17.1% for the 15-19 age group and 4.1% for the 20-24 age group.
2. Orissa government and people have made sincere efforts towards establishing a KBK central university.
(a) Oct 24 2005: The CM meets the HRD minister Mr. Arjun Singh and proposes the idea of a KBK Central University and Mr. Singh appreciates the idea. Following is an excerpt of a press release that discusses it.
… In addition to this, Shri Patnaik also requested for establishment of a Central University for the KBK Region, which is one of the most backward regions in the country. He pointed out that there was a heavy concentration of the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste population in this region, which has a literacy rate below 50%. Shri Patnaik stated that setting up a Central University in the KBK region would go a long way in encouraging higher education among tribal population. He added that the university could also set up specialized centres for tribal development related studies, as tribal development was one of the biggest challenges facing the country today. Shri. Arjun Singh appreciated the rationale of having a Central University in the KBK region and sought a formal proposal in this regard from the State Government. He assured that this would receive high priority whenever the Central Government considers setting up of new central universities
(b) Since then the Orissa government and the representatives of Orissa have brought up this issue many many times.
(d) Here is our proposal. (word, pdf) This document has lots of detailed statistics in case you may want to use some of it in your letter.
(e) Hundred of us also sent letters about it to the PM, planning commission, etc. (word) This letter also has lots of detailed statistics in case you may want to use some of it in your letter.
… The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University will encourage studies on tribal art, culture and traditions, forests and natural resources. Tribal students will be given priority in admission. … The D. Swaminadhan Committee, set up by the University Grants Commission, recommended the setting up of a varsity exclusively for promoting tribal culture and providing tribals access to higher education.
The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh with Central Government funding. It also approved introduction of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Bill, 2007 in the Parliament.
(c) http://www.ranchiexpress.com/news/n22062007.htm mentions: Jharkhand will soon house the Eastern India branch of national tribaluniversity , chirstened Indira Gandhi National TribalUniversity (IGNTU). The committee of University Grant Commission (UGC) that has been asked to set up the IGNTU is looking for about 1,000 acres of land in Jharkhand for the purpose. The varsity, which will have its headquarters at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, will offer array of courses to students from across the country. Dr Ram Dayal Munda, a member of the UGC committee, has been asked to look for land in Jharkhand, possibly in or around the State Capital. "The chairperson of the committee, Jose Verghese, has asked me to find a suitable piece of land here to house the IGNTU branch," Dr Munda told mediapersons.
There is no mention of KBK Central University above; nor about branches of IGNTU in Orissa. This came as a shock to people of Orissa.
4. Soothing words from the PM and the central minister from Orissa, Mr. Chandrasekhar Sahu
Today, I am happy to announce that we intend to establish 30 new Central Universities across the country. The work on the modalities for setting these up has begun and the Ministry of Human resource Development, the University Grants Commission and the Planning Commission are working to operationalize this in the next 2-3 months.
While the first Central University is likely to be set up in Koraput,
5. In light of the above we have the following five point demand:
I. The central university in Koraput should be a multi-campus one with campuses in all the major towns in KBK+ districts. I.e., the eight KBK districts and the adjacent Gajapati and Kandhamal districts. This university should be more like the universities in the north east in that it must have special quotas for tribals and KBK+ residents.
II. The PM said there will be 30 new central universities. Since there are already about 20 central universities and Orissa has none; besides the
central university in Koraput, one of the other universities in Orissa, from a different part of Orissa, must be upgraded to central university status.
III. Branches of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University must be made in the north western districts with high tribal population, in particular
Mayurbhanj (tribal percentage 57.87%, literacy 52.43%), Sundergarh (50.74%, 65.22%), and Keonjhar (44.52%, 59.75%); and possibly in Sambalpur (35.08% , literacy 67.01%), Deogarh (33.31%, literacy 60.78%), and Jharsuguda (31.88% , literacy 71.47%).
IV. A greenfield IIT must be established in an appropriate location in Orissa to serve the backward parts of Orissa as well as to be close enough to existing infrastructure so as to be a viable world class institution.
V. Connectivity to KBK must be upgraded with (a) fasttrack implementation of the Vijaywada-Ranchi highway and (b) Finishing three important rail projects in KBK: Khurda Rd – Balangir; Naupada-Gunupur-Therubali; and LanjigarhRd-Bhawanipatna-Junagarh-Nabrangpur-Jeypore-Malkangiri with the last exetended to Bhadrachalam Rd thus creating an alternate shorter Ranchi-Hyderabad rail connection passing through the tribal and backward areas.
The Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh has once again came to support Orissa with an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Dr.Singh said that “there will be an IIT in Orissa”. The Prime Minister’s commitment came during a meeting with J B Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition (LOP) of Orissa. JB met Dr.Singh on June 23 at New Delhi. Speaking to tathya.in JB disclosed the information. According to Mr.Patnaik , the PM was categorical about Orissa and said “I am aware of the demands for an IIT in the state and it will be set there”. PM’s assurance came in the face of the resistance of Arjun Singh, the Minister Human Resources Development (HRD) to support Orissa with institutions of higher learning. Dr.Singh said as per his promise, funding for National Institute Science Education and Research (NISER) is finalized. He said that Rs.800 crore is being funded to NISER, which is being approved by the Union Cabinet. The PM said that Orissa is included in all the Flag Ship Programs of the UPA Government at the Centre. On the demand to include Cuttack in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Dr.Singh not only assured but has asked the Ministry of Urban Development (MUD) to prepare plan accordingly. Connecting the broad gauge railway line from Gunupur to Theruvali, Dr.Singh asked the railway authorities to include it in the expansion plan of the Ministry of Railways (MoR). The Naupada-Gunupur railline is being converted to broad gauge but the MoR dubbling Gunupur-Theruvali, a poor economic returns line has shelved the expansion project. Mr.Patnaik said that Dr.Singh has given assurance in this regard to take up the expansion work up to Theruvali.
I read about your visit to Bhubaneswar and some news reports and quotes of yours in Statesman. (See article below.)
1. One of them says:
“I do not want to score political points but what if I ask what were these people doing in all the six years that the NDA was in power. The IIT could have come up in six years time , what were you (the BJD) doing when all that you needed was to take up the file to Mr Vajpayee and he would have signed it,” shot back Mr Ramesh.
2. Another paragraph of that report says:
Repeatedly emphasising that he was one with the demand of the state for institutes of higher education, Mr Ramesh said at the same time, one should realise that an IIT will solve the problem of unemployment. Has Kanpur IIT contributed in any way to Kanpur? In fact, IITs have contributed more to the US economy than Indian economy, he remarked.
===
Mr. Ramesh: I don’t know if your intent was to score political points or if this is your thinking. You are quoted as saying that “you do not want to score political points”, so these must be your real views.
(1′) Your comment (1) implies that a state can get an IIT (or similar institute) only when its coalition is in power in Delhi. Do you really mean that? So is the UPA government in Delhi only for states with UPA friendly governments and the rest should go to hell in regards to higher education institutions? Not only that you seem to be implying that it is not right (timing) for Orissa to ask for an IIT now because the ruling party of the state is not aligned with the center.
UNI reports that Prof. Damodar Acharya, currently the Chairman of AICTE will become the director of IIT Kharagpur. Prior to being the AICTE Chairman he was the founding vice Chancellor of BPUT. At that time he had discussed with the Orissa government the importance of getting an IIT to Orissa and had led the development of Orissa government’s proposal for an IIT. Last year, while he was at AICTE, again with his help, the IIT Kharagpur branch campus in Bhubaneswar idea was made to a formal proposal. Now that he will be the director of IIT Kharagpur, lets hope that he takes some additional steps towards the fruition of a IIT Kharagpur branch in Bhubaneswar. Following is a biography from the AICTE pages.
Tathya.in has a nice article about NROs urging the Orissa politicians to unitedly work towards getting an IIT for Orissa. We urge the readers to write to Orissa leaders (in all parties) along the lines of the article. The chief minister’s email address is cmo@ori.nic.in and the union minister Chandrasekhar Sahu’s office fax number is 011-23061695. Following is the full article from Tathya with its permission.
The coming assembly session of Orissa starts tomorrow. Various newspapers report that UPA injsutice regarding an IIT in Orissa will be a major issue in this session. Following are some excerpts.
1. Statesman:
The performance of UPA government at the Centre vis-Ã -vis allocations to Orissa is expected to hold centre stage during the budget session of the Assembly commencing here tomorrow.
Ruling BJD-BJP, which has been raising the hackneyed Central neglect theme in recent times, has decided to move a motion for discussion on the subject as well as one on price rise. Denying an IIT to Orissa, meagerly allocations under the Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Yojana and KBK programme are some of the issues with which the ruling combine is training its guns on the UPA government and the Congress party.
On the other hand the BJD-BJP legislature party made it clear that they would continue to deplore the “step-motherly†attitude of the Centre towards Orissa.
Legislators of the ruling BJD-BJP and Opposition Congress today met separately at the Assembly to chalk out strategies a day before the commencement of the state Assembly Budget session.
Parliamentary affairs minister Raghunath Mohanty said the BJD-BJP alliance would bring two motions to be discussed in the second-half of the session.
“We will raise the issue of a special package for Orissa in view of the ill treatment and step-motherly attitude to Orissa in all matters. Take a look at the issue of setting up an IIT in Orissa or meagre Central funds for rural electrification,†he said.
After returning from New Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Jaydev Jena said “Prime Minister (PM) Dr Man Mohan Singh has agreed to visit Orissa soon.
Jena requested PM to visit Orissa shortly and review several ongoing Centrally-sponsored welfare program in the state to which the latter agreed.”
There was a similar report about Union Minister of State (MOS) for Rural Development Chandrasekhar Sahu meeting the PM and Dr. Singh agreeing to come to Orissa.
And that he may announce some new institutes such as Indian Institute of Handloom Technology.
Lets compare an IIT with the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) in terms of investment, said an analyst.
As per the budget of the Department of Textiles the total money for human resource development is Rs 3 crores.
It seems like this Rs. 3 crore includes the budget for 4 existing handloom institutes and probably as well as the new one proposed in Bargarh.
In contrast there is Rs. 80 crores towards the groundwork for 3 new IITs and Rs. 1553 crores for the exisiting 7 IITs .
So annual budget of an existing IIT is Rs. 222 crores while for an IIHT (Indian Institute of Handloom Technology) it is at best Rs. 1 crore.
Similarly it takes Rs. 1000-4000 crores to make an IIT and for an handloom institute would be costing Rs. 5-10 crores at best.
IITs offer B.tech. M.Tech and Ph.Ds and IIHT offers only diplomas.
…
But Congress MPs both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha kept mum.
The other day when the Opposition Leader J B Patnaik was asked about IIT he said the State Government is not serious about the issue as they have not sent any formal proposal to open an IIT to the Centre.
But what prohibits you to raise the issue and impress the PM for an IIT, he engaged himself in the blame game.
The point is abundantly clear that the myopic and timid leaders of the Congress are not in a position to put their weight on the central leadership for an emotional and justified demand like an IIT.
