IITs need to adopt engineering colleges...

NKC Says Move Will Help Raise Edu Standards

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Concerned over the “glaring regional imbalance’’ in engineering education, the National Knowledge Commission has suggested that the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology should adopt some lesser known engineering colleges to raise their standard.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, NKC chairperson Sam Pitroda has also suggested integration of science and engineering education. Pitroda pointed out that two-thirds of the engineering institutions were located in the four southern states and Maharashtra. Therefore, he said, a framework of public-private partnership was needed to establish new quality institutions. Therefore, the IITs should “mentor’’ new institutions to raise their standards, he said.
“Mentoring by its definition is a voluntary activity, but if we can create an atmosphere where institutions of distinction feel a sense of calling in the interest of the larger national good, it would transform our education,’’ Pitroda said. Therefore, institutions like IITs should bear some additional responsibilities. “In particular, the existing IITs could mentor the new ones being established. The latter, in due course, could play a similar role vis-a-vis others,’’ he said.
As for integration of science and engineering education, Pitroda said, “We have entered a period in history where the distinction between sciences and engineering has all but disappeared.’’ In order to reduce the perceived gap between sciences and engineering, there was a need to create mechanisms that allowed mobility between the two streams, he said.
In this regard, Pitroda said that one option could be to start four-year undergraduate programmes in sciences, initially in institutes of excellence where facilities for such courses already exist. It would enable pursuing doctoral programmes in science and technology, without a master’s degree.
Pitroda also said that several initiatives were necessary to promote research in engineering. Vibrant and well-funded PhD programmes with opportunities for international exposure should be provided to attract students who currently go abroad for doctoral degrees, he said. Also, the new academic and research institutions being established should be so located that they could optimise mutual collaboration.
Means-cum-merit scholarship
The Cabinet has approved a “means-cum-merit scholarship” of Rs 6,000 per year to prevent economically weak but meritorious students from dropping out of school.
IIM-A director explains fee hike
The director of the IIM-A, Samir Barua, has written letters to the institute’s alumni, explaining why the recent fee hike was necessary. The fee hike proposed by the IIM-A has created enough resentment from various quarters. In his email to alumni, though, Barua seems to be in an explaining mode.
In his letter, Barua explains why the fee hike of 300% was proposed for the June 2008 batch. The letter specifies the objectives of the fee hike as: providing relief to students who come from lower income families, continuing to significantly subsidise the PGP from the surplus generated from other activities of the Institute. TNN