Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday met the directors of the eight new Indian Institutes of Technology to discuss the teething problems they were facing.The eight new IITs have been started in Ropar (2008), Bhubaneswar (2008), Gandhinagar (2008), Hyderabad (2008), Patna (2008), Jodhpur (2008), Mandi (2009) and Indore (2009). IT BHU (Banaras Hindu University) is also to be upgraded as an Indian Institute of Technology.
As many of these institutes are presently functioning from temporary campuses, the directors told the minister of the constraints they face regarding infrastructure and faculty.
"A number of IITs are facing problems of clearances with central/state government departments for acquisition of the land allotted to them. In this regard, the minister has asked for a meeting to be taken next month with the concerned state government officials, central government officials and IIT directors to facilitate the process of land acquisition," an HRD ministry official said.
On the lines of the recent concession to IIMs on topping up the faculty salary, the new IITs have also been allowed to top up the faculty salary from their own funds, but only after the HRD minister's approval.
"At present, in the IITs, the scale Rs.67,000-Rs.79,000 is applicable for 40 percent of the professors in position. The new IITs expressed they have been unable to implement this grade since they have been able to recruit only few faculty so far," the official said. "The minister said the ministry would seek approval from the finance ministry/cabinet to be able to implement this salary grade for the new IITs."
The new IITs also felt that a revision in fund allocation would be required in view of the escalation of construction costs. "The minister (Sibal) has directed the officials to examine the matter and come up with a proposal in this regard," he added.
Major reforms are underway in the premier engineering institutions, with permission to take in foreign faculty and students, and for conducting medical courses (under the Medical Council of India's guidance) being some of them. IANS
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