Foundation for Himachal IIT laid

iit-mnd-yash-01Shimla: Union minister of state Anand Sharma and chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the new Indian Institute of Technology being opened at Mandi.

Speaking on the occasion Sharma said that the government was pursuing the dreams of the country’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru of establishing temples of learning all over the country.

The UPA government has marked Rs 85,000 crore for human resource development (HRD) activities which was substantially higher than previous allocations for education sector.

Besides this IIT there were 6 other IITs, 7 IIMS, 30 central universities and another 30 IIITs being opened in the country that would provide world class education, said Sharma.

Opening of these institutions would help to increase the country talent pool and prepare the youth to face the challenges ahead, he added.iit-mnd-yash-04

The minister appreciated the urgency with which the government was able to identify land and meet other requirements for getting an institute like IIT functional is such a short span of time.

Acknowledging the union government initiative of opening national level institutions in the state, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that vocational education network was getting strengthened by setting up such institutions.

Proposed IIT siteWith the setting up of an IIT in Mandi, world class educational facilities would become available within the state, said Dhumal.

He added that Himachal was poised to emerge as an educational hub after all the approved institutions come into operation.

Technical education minister Narinder Bragta and congress state president Thakur Kaul Singh were also present on the occasion.

The IIT is expected to involve an investment of about Rs 1,000 for setting up the centre of excellence.

Photo by Yash Raj Sharma

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15 Comments

  1. says: sudarshan kumar

    Couple of comments on this news report published here as well in The tribune (today’s edition.
    1. The IIT ropar was also inaugurated yesterday by Punjab CM Badal and HRD minister Arjun Singh. The report which by filed by the “The Tribune” correspondent mentions the statement of HRD minister which says that the total budget for higher education is Rs. 8500 Crore.
    The report published in the Himachal section of The tribune as well Myhimachal mentions that a total of 85000 crore Rs. budget is available for higher education. Since, the fact is reported by both Ravinder ji and Mr Chauhan (of Tribune).
    This means that it was a big mistake committed by the illiterate politicians who were supposed to report the proper figures but failed to do so.
    May be someone can correct me
    The details of the news item are also available on
    http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090225/main6.htm
    http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090225/himachal.htm#7
    as well as the present report on my himachal.

    2. It is very sad to note that IITR director was humiliated by these politicians as the report mentions (a brief summary given below).

    “IIT director Dr SC Saxena, who was to present the votes of thanks at the end of the ceremony, had not even started speaking when almost all political dignitaries left the dais, giving unpleasant experience to the learned gentry present there.”


    Is this what an IIT director deserve?

    If this is the respect shown to a person who is expected to mentor the new IIT, then what is motivation left in him in working with the present day government towards the betterment of the new IIT.
    If that is the case, it is better to become political goon in this country than becoming a mentor or academician in an IIT. Because the present political class seems to be more inclined towards respecting such goons than a learned personality like Dr Saxena.

  2. says: Sandip Haldar

    So many IITs in the country, I wonder about the quality. If 100s of IITs come up in the country, will they all be honoured as ‘IIT’ internationally! Also, it’ll become tough to maintain the high standard logo-value of ‘IIT’ when so many of this kind work.

  3. While the Himachal government release mentioned a Rs 85,000 crore allocation for Human Resource Development ministry, a fact that I have not been able to verify from other government document but one fact which the central government release at (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=47908) mentions is that under 11th Plan Rs 2000 crore has been marked for Mandi IIT of which Rs 50 crore is for current financial year.

    The release also mentions that the first academic batch would start functioning from July 2009.

  4. says: Vichaar

    Things have value when they are fewer in quantity. When they are in plenty, they lose there value. Same is going to happen with IIT. Govt is opening IITs like cellphone vendors but do they have any idea about the faculty and how they gonna maintain infrastrucutre. It could be better if govt keep these news IITs as RECs. Why IITians leave india for abroad for fruther studies or research because they get the value they deserve. Govt n people should focus on value creation. NOwdays many engg colleges are being opened or already opened but if you check for the quality or content among these, you will be hopeless.

  5. says: Arun Padha

    Why people are worried about the number of IITs government is opening?? Are they don’t want to see new generation getting good education with these premier institutions? Extension of any instituiton does not loose its value provided mentors maintain that, but it will help heavily populated and deserving Indian candidates to get world class educations with their limited economic status, I am happy that government should open more IITs so that maximum deserving students should be able to fulfill their dreams.

  6. says: anonymous

    its not the number that matters.. the output they produce.. and for output, i believe, they need more qualified faculty..
    i guess they need to demotivate brain drain first..

    1. says: anonymous-1

      yes. To build an IIT is a massive task and requires many years of effort, firstly to develop proper infrastructure, secondly to establish the culture, thirdly & most importanly to get good professors for all departments.
      If all these are not there, then there is no point in calling an institute IIT.
      These politicians must remember that IIT is valued not because of the name but because of its students who have gone and build a palce for themselves internationally.
      Another important thing to become globally acknowledged is to develop good graduate programme. The kind of programme that attracts talent from all around the globe.

    2. says: rj

      Marketers often exploit a brand name. The original product that led to the popularity of the brand name does not usually suffer. It just becomes a seperate brand…so IIT mumbai will become its own brand. Like if you say I bought a ‘Colgate’ …..people are bound to ask you , a colgate what? toothpaste ?toothbrush?….er I bought a ‘colgate’ ice cream…..i never heard of colgate ice cream!!….EXACTLY!! but hey Colgate toothpaste tastes awesome…i bet the ice cream tastes good too and maybe it wont cause cavities!!!
      Long story short, politicians are trying to make a few bucks ( or votes) by using the IIT brand…which mind you they(their predecessors) created or atleast they are the ones who have the trademark for it….just like ‘colgate’ belongs to Colgate palmolive ,although your favorite flavor toothpaste was probably concocted by some small company who did not have the marketing prowess to sell its stuff.

  7. says: Sanjiv

    What sort of quality education be available to masses when the present IITs fail to deliver under reservations. What can be expected from IITians who designed BRT killer corridor in New Delhi ?

    Was there need of IIT Himachal so strong that present NIT Hamipur is in bad shape in terms of discipline and infrastructure ?

    Politicians who interfere with educational institutes ruin them.

  8. says: Raj Sharma

    Yeah, i am agree that opening plenty of IIT’s will spoil IIT craze and along with that the kind of prestige and education standard image IIT’s got outside (ask someone who has gone to US,UK for higher studies) will be lost. currently IIT’s has international level of education. so my opinion is government is simply opening IIT’s thinking of that there is something in the Name and that automatically will give that standard. it’s ridiculous that those who do not know the abc of technical study plan for these new foundations

  9. says: NITYIN

    There are teething problems while opening an Institute of this magnitude and it will be some time that this place will come on the national scene. Opening of more IITs will not dilute the prestige of the brand IIT though. Only reservation I do have is how will Himachali students benefit from this institute? The level of education we have till the XII standard here hardly prepares students for an All India entrance exam. It is the coaching centers based in Chandigarh which will make the killing and more will open shop promising great future and charging absurd fees.

  10. says: ishita

    thats good that IIT is going to be in mandi but is it sfe after the death of Aman
    student of tanda medical collage is it not right to say that institutes in himachal are not safe

  11. says: Tanisha Bodh

    I really appreciate the efforts of our Govt. but I think that much emphasis is laid on the foundation of Engineering institutions. Already , there is no dearth of these in India. But surely Himachal requires many educational institutions to actually become the hub of education. But, the field of medicine is equally important. We have only 2 reputed medical colleges in Himachal viz, IGMC(Shimla) and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College(Tanda) and that too seats are very few for medical asprirants like me. We desperately need more medical institutions!!!!!!!!

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