Edu-leaders

The 2nd NIT Council meeting, focusing on improving the quality of technical education in the country, was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource Development.
Distinguished members of Parliament, Chairperson and Directors of National Institute of Technology and other council members attended the meeting. Several important decisions having long-term implications on improving the quality of technical education were taken.

Since the NIT system is going to complete a decade of its existence, the minister suggested conducting a review of the system under the chairmanship of Dr Anil K. Kakodkar on the lines of the report already submitted by him on IITs.

Reports of various committees constituted by the council earlier were approved for implementation. The council also reviewed the admission policy for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Sibal also expressed the government’s desire to have a single national level examination for admission to all engineering institutions. The Ramasamy Committee would be submitting its report by September 2011.

A committee was constituted to implement centralised PG admissions on the pattern of UG admissions. Another committee to provide merit scholarship to deserving UG students was constituted. A scheme for promoting foreign students admission through AIEEE on-line examination to be held at international level was also approved.

Sibal reaffirmed the support of the ministry to the NIT system and to ten new NITs for the development of infrastructure and recruitment of faculty and staff. The Secretary HRD laid emphasis on promotion of research and recruitment of quality faculty in NIT system.

He also stressed on the need for networking amongst IITs, NITs and other institutions. In order to promote better coordination, the directors and chairpersons of IITs and NITs must meet once a year to discuss larger issues connected with technical education and research, he said. The next council meeting has been fixed for November 15, 2011.