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New IITs launched; blemishes galore
By siliconindia
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Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 21:22 IST
Bangalore: As part of the government's plan to launch eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), IIT- Rajasthan in Kanpur, IIT-Gandhinagar in Ahmedabad, Gujarat were officially opened. IIT-Patna, Bihar will be inaugurated in Patna on 6 August by the Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh. Apart from these, three more IITs will open in the current academic year.
However, the starting troubles that came bundled with the launches seem to be diluting the brand image the seven IITs in the country held so far. The six new IITs, which were almost brought into being this year have 120 seats each, totaling 720 seats. But, as the OBC, SC and ST quotas could not be filled up, as many as 432 seats will go a-begging. That means, virtually, out of the six institutes, three will go vacant.
Reports say that despite the cut-off percentage for backward class students lowered in the name of affirmative action, the students could not make it to the roll. Each IIT sets aside 15 percent seats for Scheduled Caste students, 7.5 percent for students from the Scheduled Tribes and, from this year, will reserve 9 percent seats for OBCs (though the six new IITs have implemented 27 percent reservation for OBCs).
IIT-Guwahati director Gautam Barua said that the institute heads who are meeting later this month may ask the HRD ministry to dereserve unfilled quota seats. "There is no time this year but we may try to seek permission to transfer the vacant seats to the general category for next year," said Barua.
Though three new institutes announced the commencement of operations, the students have to wait some more time for the permanent campuses. The IIT Gandhinagar will start function on August 4 from the Government Engineering College in Chandkheda, near Ahmedabad, while the IIT Rajasthan will initially function from the IIT Kanpur campus. Classes of B.Tech programs at IIT Patna will commence on August 7 from temporary premises located at Navin Government Polytechnic, Pataliputra Nagar, Patna.
IIT-K director, SG Dhande said, "The students of IIT-R would be accommodated in the dormitories with approximately 15 students in each hall. Besides, they would be provided with labs in the morning and the classes for them will take place in the evening."
Another problem is the lack of needed faculties. Institutes are in the process of recruiting them. A few faculty members of IIT-K had agreed to teach the IIT-R students. Secretary, Ministry of HRD, RP Agarwal said that there are nine more IITs coming up as per the 11th five year plan. Thirty teaching posts and 33 non-faculty positions have been sanctioned, he said.
The new IITs are coming up in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
