>Government rejects fee hike for IITs

>Aspirants for the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) can heave a sigh of relief as government has shot down a proposal to hike the fees of undergraduate programmes of the premier technical institutes by about four times. The Anil Kakodkar committee, which was set up to study the roadmap for the autonomy and future of the IITs, had recommended that the fees be raised from Rs. 50,000 per annum to Rs. 200,000 to Rs. 250,000 per annum.

However, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal rejected the proposal, saying it will act as a “deterrent” to aspiring students, said sources in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The committee has been asked to rework the fee structure taking into account the aspirations of all sections.

The committee report came up for discussion at the IIT Council meeting here today, where Sibal announced the setting up of 50 research parks at a cost of Rs. 200 crores (Rs. 2 billion) during the 12th Five Year Plan Period. These could be set up on PPP mode encouraging private players to carry out research activities in collaboration with government institutions. One park is already in existence in Chennai.

Taking note of the fact that credit-based practices was being followed by different IITs for promotion of students from one semester to the next, the meeting agreed that academic bodies of IITs should consider acquisition of credits as a criteria for movement of students and grant of degrees to bring uniformity, said a statement issued by the MHRD. The observation came after the Report of Prof. S.G. Dhande Committee on the uniform/homogeneous criteria for promoting student from one semester to next in the IITs was discussed in detail.

The meeting also decided that the appointment of Directors should be made through a process of open advertisement so that a wider base is created for the purpose of selection. It also decided that in-principle approval may be granted for setting up an IIT in Mauritius with the help of the Indian Institutes of Technology, the statement said.

Source: The Economic Times, January 21, 2011