New Delhi: In a recent Rajya Sabha session, the parliament passed two key education bills to enable students of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) get their degrees and give 8 new IITs their status. The bill was passed as an Act of Parliament.
As per sources, the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2011, already passed by the Lok Sabha, seeks to establish eight new Indian Institutes of Technology in Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhpur, Mandi, Patna and Ropar and integrate the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, within the ambit of the Act. Therefore, as per the amended Act, all these institutions will soon be declared institutions of national importance.
However, the National Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2010, also passed by the Lok Sabha, declares certain institutions of technology as institutions of national importance and seeks to add five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (established in Kolkata, Pune, Mohali, Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram) as institutions of national importance. Moreover, the bill also specified the members of Board of Governors of each institute and established a Council for all Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research.
While introducing the Bills in the Rajya Sabha, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said that any fear about inclusion of BHU under the ambit of the Act was unfounded. The Minister further clarified that if there is any misgiving, one would be ready and revisit in the manner that members consider it appropriate. He also explained that while 20 NITs were covered under the Act and with amendments not being passed, students were waiting to get their degrees.
