UPDATES spotlight
Task Force to Assess Status of Former Deemed Universities The MHRD is to examine the claims of former deemed-to-be-universities that they have overcome flaws
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functioning of ‘deemed-tohe Union Ministry for be-universities’ and ensure Hu m a n Re s o u r c e that their deemed status Development has was justified. The Review appointed a task force to Committee had submitted examine applications from its report to the Government institutions that need to take in October 2009. corrective measures to satisfy After assessing the the deemed university status. ‘deemed-to-be-universities’, The members of the task the Committee had categoforce are P.N. Tandon, Profesrised 44 institutions as sor, AIIMS, New Delhi; institutions deficient in Goverdhan Mehta, National some aspects. These instiResearch Professor, Universitutions were given a time ty of Hyderabad; M. Anandaspan of three years to trankrishnan, Chairman, IIT sit into the category of Kanpur; and Mrinal Miri, forMHRD Minister Kapil Sibal addresses the audience at the event ‘institutions satisfying mer Vice Chancellor, Northmost of the criteria for the Eastern Hill University, Shillong. T h e Ce n t r a l Go v e r n m e n t h a d deemed university status’. These instituS o m e o f t h e ‘d e e m e d - t o - b e appointed an expert committee in June tions have not been allowed to work on universities’ under the scanner are 2009 after the new Minister of Human their expansion plans as the government claiming that they have overcome the Resource Development, Kapil Sibal, will give a go ahead only after the instituflaws and want the deemed status. The c a m e i n t o p o w e r, t o r e v i e w t h e tions overcome their flaws. task force will also look into these claims.
makeover
IIT Kharagpur to Use Budget Grant to Renovate Institute, Upgrade Laboratories, Start MBBS Programme IIT Kharagpur will use a one-time grant of 20 million from the central government to upgrade facilities and boost nano-science research THE INDIAN INSTITUTE of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), welcomed the special budgetary grant of 2 billion in the 2011-2012 Budget. The grant will help the IIT realise its ambition of starting a medical college. “I presume this amount has been sanctioned following our request to the HRD ministry for a major grant. It will help us in renovating old buildings,” said A.K. Majumdar, deputy director, IIT Kharagpur. “We welcome this grant as this institution will be celebrating its diamond jubilee from August 2011-2012.” The grant will also
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EDUTECH March-April 2011
be used to upgrade laboratories. “We need modern equipment and technologies to conduct research in a subject as cuttingedge as nano-science. The money will help IIT Kharagpur to conduct tests in different segments of high-end researches,” added Majumdar. The IIT administration will need an investment in excess of 5 billion for the proposed medical school. In 2009, the institute had signed an MoU with the University of California, San Diego, as a partner for its 350 to 800-bed medical college.