We shall provide daily update our report on student protests and demonstrations.
Breaking news
Day 13-Feb 19
Both Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi have showed their support for converting IT-BHU to IIT. More updates at our media page.
Day 8-Feb 14
A group of representatives from the Institute of Technolgy, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU), Varanasi had discussions with Mr. Arjun Singh, Minister for Human Resource Development on Saturday, February 14 in the ministry's office in New Delhi. The group included Director of the Institute, Prof. S, N, Upadhyay, faculty members (Prof. A K Tripathi, Prof. A. K. Ghosh, Prof. Dhananjay Pandey and Prof. J N Sinha), selected alumni and students. The meeting was conducted in two sessions and held in cordial atmosphere. The minister assured the delegates to remove all obstacles and offered all possible help to convert the institute to an IIT. It should be noted that during the cabinet meeting on March 28, 2008 (chaired by Prime Minister), it was decided to convert IT-BHU to an IIT.
Earlier in the morning, the students from the institute visited the residence of the ailing minister and offered him flowers for speedy recovery. The students have contacted several dozen MPs (members of parliament) and will continue to do so. There are about 600 students from the institute camping in New Delhi since last Tuesday to support their cause for conversion of the institute to an IIT. The students joined the institute last year through IIT-JEE exam in the hope that the institute will become an IIT as per the govt. announcement. The institute is admitting students through IIT-JEE since 1972.
The minister reuested the representatives for another meeting with him on Wednesday, Feberuary 18. The alumni of the institute are eagerly awating the outcome of the meeting, which will be attended by a different group of faculty from the institute. The govt. plans to introduce a Bill in the current session of parliament to add eight new IITs by amendment of IITs Act, 1963. IT-BHU is also expected to find a place among the announcement of new IITs. The institute is trying to get IIT status since 1973, when it was proposed to convert it to an IIT under Indo-East German technical collaboration.
Day 7-Feb 13
On Friday, Feb 13, the team from the institute was unable to meet the Minister of HRD owing to his ill health.
Day 6-Feb 12
On 6th day (Thursday) Faculty members and some other students left for New Delhi.
Day 5-Feb 11
On 5th day (Wednesday) the last of total of 600 students left for New Delhi.
Day 4-Feb 10
On 4th day (Tuesday) a batch of about 100 students left for New Delhi for peaceful protests and to demonstrate the support for IT-BHU to IIT conversion.
Day 3 - Feb 09
University issued a press release stating the support by VC for conversion. Now all protests/demonstrations inside and around campus/city have been stopped for the time being.
The press-release is as follows:
The Banaras Hindu University has been making desired efforts to get the status of I.I.T for its Institute of Technology (IT).
It is worthwhile to mention that Prof. D. P. Singh the Vice-Chancellor of the University met Hon'ble Shri Arjun Singh, Minister of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India at New Delhi on 7th February 2009 and requested him for the grand of I.I.T. status to the I.T.-B.H.U. The Hon'ble Minister assured him for the same. It is hoped that I.T. -B.H.U will get this status soon.
See ::
- Rector talking to ITBHU Students
- Press release from BHU
Day 2-Feb 08
On the 2nd day (Sunday Feb o8) students held protests demonstration at Lanka Gate. Students also marched to Sankat Mochan and carried out Havan-Puja. National media covered today's movement. Zee TV, star TV and Aajtak covered today's demonstration. Hunger strike was started. Fifty students are on hunger strike now.
We have been moved from the Lanka gate and now we will be carrying out hunger strike in IT itself in Rampur lawns. Today's demonstration was very effective as it was broadcasted in all national channels.
We did demonstration and puja at Sankat Mochan and Durgakund today. It was covered by national media, reportedly shown in Aajtak. After it people sat down at Lanka Chauraha (about 300 people). During evening almost all national media covered it. Tomorrow as well there will be demonstration but not in City because of VIPs visiting and Ravidas Jayanti. The demonstration tomorrow will be in IT premises at Rampur Hall, Electrical Dept. Media will cover it there only tomorrow.
Rector came around mid-night to request students on hunger-strike to break the fast as VC has declared the support for conversion. He added that University will issue press-release tomorrow.
Day 1-Feb 07
The first meeting was called upon by one of the eminent professors of IT-BHU in G-11 Hall at our institute on Saturday Feb. 07 at 11.00 am. The meeting was attended by about 1,200 students and 25 faculty members and it was covered by local media. Different developments took place in the meeting.
telegraphindia.com/1090215/jsp/nation/story_10537919.jsp
please read this related article also.
February 14, 2009 10:14 PMhttp://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/96C03F046120500265257560003AAC35?OpenDocument
Raising another issue, senior BJP member Murli Manohar Joshi made a demand for upgrading of the BHU Institute of Technology to the status an IIT. He said while the Centre has opened new IITs, the recommendation of an expert committee on BHU-IIT has not been fulfilled. PTI
February 17, 2009 3:17 AMhttp://www.telegraphindia.com/1090225/jsp/nation/story_10587521.jsp
BHU ready to break a wing for IIT tag
by CHARU SUDAN KASTURI
New Delhi, Feb. 24
this says no IIT. is it true ?
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090228/jsp/nation/story_10603745.jsp
February 27, 2009 1:34 PMhttp://www.telegraphindia.com/1090228/jsp/nation/story_10603745.jsp
Banaras Hindu University’s executive council has refused to part with the engineering wing, dealing a blow to the Centre’s plans to grant it IIT status.
The council has sent the HRD ministry a resolution rejecting the proposed separation of the Institute of Technology from the BHU, necessary for IIT status. The resolution comes less than a week after the BHU vice-chancellor had assured the Centre the separation was possible.
The council has, instead, raised visions of a new IIT coming up in Varanasi. The executive council, supreme in matters of policy, has suggested handing over 500 acres to the Centre to build a new IIT.
Failure to grant IIT status to IT-BHU, as promised by the Centre last year, will upset the students, now agitating against the delay on campus.
check this out:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090228/jsp/nation/story_10603745.jsp
February 28, 2009 4:01 AMBHU in full swing to stop th conversion.....
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090228/jsp/nation/story_10603745.jsp
March 2, 2009 7:02 PMso where are we now ? after all these reports of bhu blowing etc ...
March 5, 2009 1:56 AMKapil Sibal, MHRD, clears last hurdle in IT-BHU road to IIT-BHU
@ 07:28 PM
New Delhi, Sept. 7: Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal has cleared the last roadblock to the conversion of Banaras Hindu University's engineering wing into an IIT, accepting an administrative umbilical chord threatening to strangle the promised upgrade.
Sibal has accepted a BHU demand that its vice-chancellor be made a co-chairman on the board of governors of the proposed IIT to be created by cleaving the 93-year old university.
Top government officials confirmed to The Telegraph that Sibal yesterday signed his approval on the BHU demand, ending over three years of hectic bargaining between the university and the Centre.
ITBHU Mechanical Department Panoramic View
The Institute of Technology, BHU, first promised IIT status under the NDA government, may now finally be an IIT by the start of the 2010 academic session. "The minister's signature effectively seals the deal," a top official said.
There are no longer any differences between the HRD ministry and BHU on the structure and administration of the new institute, which will be called IIT-BHU.
IT-BHU is now scheduled to become India's 16th IIT and the first that will bear in its name a link to another institution.
The government and BHU will need to complete a series of bureaucratic and parliamentary procedures before IT-BHU's upgrade is official. The HRD ministry and the university will then need to implement a plan already in place to phase IT-BHU out of BHU and into an independent entity.
The HRD ministry will first include the name of IT-BHU in the list of new IITs that it has created, but which are still awaiting legal approval under amendments to the IIT Act. The Centre hopes to introduce the proposed amendments in the next session of Parliament.
Thanks to Charu Sudan Kasturi, The Telegraph, for the report
September 7, 2009 8:35 PM
This is long outstanding demand of IT BHU to convert it into a full fledged IIT. The demand is just and reasonable keeping in view the recognition given to the students of the institute in the society and national and international business fraternity. Why the Govt is so apartheid to it which is already having superb faculty, infrastructure facility, campus and of cource the renowned and reputed allumnies. Instead the govt is trying to set all new IITs which will be requiring multifold investment and aids, which seems to be difficult in this hard time of global economic turmoil. Hope and pray the Govt reconsider its decision honestly and in line with the current economical developments and honor the long overdue demand of converting IT BHU to IIT BHU which will be requiring lesser financial assistance in comparisan to setting new IITs.
February 10, 2009 10:25 PM