The Hindu : Hyderabad best suited for setting up IIT: educationist

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 21, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad best suited for setting up IIT: educationist

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB.20. Noted academic and Chairman of Vignan Group of Institutions, L. Rathaiah, has favoured setting up the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Hyderabad given logistics like industry and research institutions instead of Basar, where it is being proposed now.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Dr. Rathaiah said Hyderabad was not only the ideal place in the State but also in the country if any institute of the IIT magnitude had to be set up. "Let's be realistic and not emotional," he said and wanted the Government to elicit the opinion of academics and industry in this regard before taking any decision. "IIT is not just another educational institution to churn out technical graduates but a centre of research that attracts top quality students," he reminded.

Dr. Rathaiah was of the view that Hyderabad had more than 10 research institutions of several streams apart from reputed educational institutions like the IIIT and the ISB. The present day higher education and research was inter-disciplinary and hence a very close interaction with all institutes of higher learning was necessary. Under these circumstances, Hyderabad was the best bet, he said.

Moreover, when public money to the tune of Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,000 crores expected to be invested in the first five years in the IIT, it was necessary that objectives that best serve the interest of higher technical education and research were kept in mind. "Political, religious and regional considerations should take a back seat while taking such crucial decisions," he felt. He said he would conduct a survey among students, academicians and decision makers to seek their opinion and also to prove his contention right.

Dismissing the arguments that setting up an IIT in a remote area would spur development, he said only the land value would go up but industries and research institutions much needed for the survival of an IIT would not come up. "The Guwahati IIT and BITS, Pilani are the best examples. Despite having a highly reputed institution for the last 50 years, Pilani in Rajasthan continues to be a gram panchayat," he said. Merely setting up the IIT in a backward area would not serve any purpose. He also cited the example of IIT in Kharagpur.

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