The Hindu : New Delhi News : Manmohan Singh promises IIT for State

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Manmohan Singh promises IIT for State

Special Correspondent

Achuthanandan, Baby meet Prime Minister, invite him to inaugurate space institute

VS, Baby remind Prime Minister of his promise
Submit proposal to set up five centres of excellence

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday assured the Kerala government that every effort will be made by the Centre to set up one of the eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) being planned in the Eleventh Five Year Plan in the State.

This was communicated by Dr. Manmohan Singh to Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan at a meeting here on Saturday. Accompanied by his Education Minister M.A. Baby, the Chief Minister sought to remind the Prime Minister that he had promised Kerala an IIT way back in November 2006, but no decision had been taken on this count till date.

The delegation also communicated the State’s dismay over the fact that Kerala had not got one of the three new IITs that had been sanctioned since November 2006, Mr. Baby told reporters later. “The Prime Minister took note of our concerns and said our claim to an IIT was legitimate.”

The delegation also invited Prime Minister to the State in April or May to lay the foundations of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). As to whether land had been acquired for the two projects, the Minister said a final decision would be taken within the next fortnight.

Already 20 acres had been acquired by the State government for the IIST and handed over to the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Besides the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr. Baby separately met Union Ministers of State for Human Resource Development M.A.A. Fatmi and D. Purandeswari. He submitted proposals for the setting up of five centres of excellence in three different universities of the State: Institute for Study of Discrimination & Exclusion, and Institute for Arabic Studies in Calicut University; Advanced Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, and Institute for Third World Studies in Mahatma Gandhi University, and Institute for Women Studies in Kerala University.

Also, Kerala has staked its claim to one of the five inter-university centres being planned by the Centre. The State, according to Mr. Baby, would like this centre to focus on social sciences. Besides, Kerala has submitted a proposal to Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee for setting up an International Centre for IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Studies.

And, to Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, the State has submitted a proposal for setting up an Advanced Centre for Diaspora Studies.

As to whether the government would hold talks with the Christian community and Nair Service Society to resolve the differences in the education field – particularly relating to self-financing colleges – Mr. Baby said the administration would not be found wanting in this regard.

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