The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : State steps up effort for IIT

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 17, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

State steps up effort for IIT

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, DEC. 16. Even as the IIT, Kharagpur, has expressed its desire to set up its extension centre in the State, the Government has renewed its efforts to get a full-fledged IIT for the State.

The State Government wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and also to the Union HRD Ministry on November 24 requesting the establishment of an IIT. Another letter was sent on December 1, 2004 seeking at least an extension centre of the IIT, Kharagpur, for which even the institution had short-listed Hyderabad.

However, the Government did not specify any particular place though the demand has been to set up the institution at Basar, the abode of goddess Saraswati in Adilabad.

Research support

The Government has cited several valid reasons to press for an IIT in the State. It has argued that it has national scientific institutions and defence organisations to extend the much-needed research support for students. The presence of multi-national institutions in software like Microsoft, Satyam, Oracle, GE and Dell in the city are additional attractions for an institution like IIT. "Since there is no national level academic institution in the State, the demand is even more valid."

The Government in its letter argued that North India had three IITs while the eastern part of the country had two. However, South India had just one IIT in Chennai when a majority of students getting into them were from South. "This year 500 students from Andhra Pradesh were admitted to IITs and the number had been increasing every year. All these speak of the genuine interest among students here," officials argued in the letter.

GATE pass per cent

Seeking the IIT, the Government has contended that the State's pass percentage of 21 is equal to the national average of the successful candidates in GATE, a pre-requisite for entry into PG courses of IITs. Every year around 24,000 students from the State qualify in GATE and the number is more than the combined qualified candidates of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra that churn out large number of engineering students.

The Technical Education Commissioner, M. Anantha Ramu, who is in Delhi now is likely to meet the HRD Ministry officials and present the State's argument. Officials say the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who is going on a three-day visit to New Delhi this month is also likely to take up the issue with the Ministers concerned.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh