There is a news item about Kerala govt. agreeing for upgrading CUSAT to IIEST:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/08/25/stories/2007082560950300.htm
Kerala - Kochi
Decks cleared for upgrading Cusat
G. Krishnakumar
To be converted into Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology
Cusat among five institutions selected
Rs. 518 crore allocated for Cusat
KOCHI: Decks have been cleared for the upgrading of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) into an “institute of national importance” with the State Government giving its nod for converting the university into an Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST).
Cusat is one among five universities/university institutions to be made institutes of national importance. The others are Bengal Engineering and Science University; Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University; Andhra University College of Engineering; and Osmania University College of Engineering and University College of Technology.
Education Minister M. A. Baby said here on Thursday that the Government would soon forward a letter to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, agreeing to convert Cusat into an IIEST. The Government decision came after the Ministry accepted the demand for reserving 50 per cent of the seats for students from Kerala, the Minister said.
Mr. Baby said the Union Ministry for Human Resource Development would consult the Government while nominating the Director of the Board of Governors to the proposed IIEST. He said the Government had asked the Ministry to protect the interests of faculty members and non-teaching staff while elevating the status of the university.
According to an expert committee appointed by the MHRD, the President will be the visitor of all IIESTs. The five institutions should function as a consortium with an IIEST council, an advisory body for major common policy decisions. The Minister for Human Resource Development will be ex-officio chairman of the council. Each IIEST shall have a Board of Governors chaired by an eminent academic.
The Board of Governors shall be the highest decision-making authority of the institute. The President will appoint its chairman. Each institute will have an executive council and an academic council. The institutes will have an individual statute providing for other institutional authorities, their responsibilities and power.
All IIESTs will preserve its all-India character in student population through national level admission tests either by adopting the Joint Entrance Examination system or the All-India Engineering Entrance Examination. The expert committee has given a budgetary recommendation for Rs.2,407.86 crore for the five institutions identified for upgrade during 2007-2012. The allocation for Cusat is Rs. 518.81 crore under the Eleventh Five Year plan.
There is also news about IIEST in The Statesman:
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=194202&usrsess=1
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JU pushes Centre for new status
Excerpts:
“The MHRD will shortly introduce the legislation for upgrading the five institutes. We have raised the issue of the other two institutions left out on account of structural problems even though the list was prepared in terms of excellence. These two institutes should be upgraded under a different model and granted some other status,” said Prof. Partha Pratim Biswas, a member of JU executive council.
Similar news also appeared in The Telegraph:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070821/asp/calcutta/story_8214649.asp
According to above news,
- The proposed Bill for transformation of colleges to IIESTs is under preparation at the MHRD, Government of India. It is expected to be finalized in the course of next 2-3 months. The Bill is expected to be introduced in the Winter Session of the Parliament (Nov 22 to Dec 19). This news was received by chronicle from the informed sources.
- The S. K. Joshi Committee selected seven colleges (including IT-BHU) for upgrading to IIT level. Later on, The Anandakrishnan Committee selected five colleges for IIEST upgrade and to grant them INI (Institutes of National Importance) status.
- Now the remaining two colleges (Engineering colleges of Aligarh Muslim University and Jadavpur University) shall be granted a new status called Institutes of National Eminence. This status will make these colleges to receive central govt. funding provided they meet the criteria for admission and governance as laid down by the HRD Ministry.