Hubballi: Karnataka is looking for 25 per cent reservation for its students in admissions to the Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad, set to begin next month.
Disclosing this to reporters in Dharwad on Monday, Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy said Karnataka was entitled to the quota for its students as a quid pro quo for handing over land worth over Rs 500 crore free of cost for establishing the IIT in the state.
Recalling that it got 35 per cent of the power generated by the National Thermal Power Corporation plant in return for the land it had given it, he argued a similar formula should be adopted when making admissions to the IIT here.
“The state government has handed over 470 acres of valuable land to the institute in Dharwad. We have also fulfilled our promise to provide basic amenities to the transit campus in the WALMI building. So we will now approach the human resources ministry to ask for a 25 per cent quota for students from the state. This will benefit rural and economically backward students," he added.
The minister earlier directed the joint director of collegiate education to clear all formalities for registering the land in the name of the premier institute before its inaugural programme is held on July 31. On the guest list will be students of schools and pre-university colleges, who will be given brochures about the IIT, its history and significance. Human resources minister, Prakash Javadekar is expected to participate as well.
It’s done! Bill for setting up 6 IITS gets nod
A bill providing for opening six new IITs, including one at Dharwad, was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday. Under the Institutes of Technology(Amendment) Bill 2016, new IITs will also be started in Palakkad, Goa, Jammu, Tirupati and Bhilai. The Bill also seeks to bring the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, within the ambit of the Act. Replying to a debate on the bill, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar said the government has formed High Education Financial Agency (HEFA) to upgrade the infrastructure. The government's credo is 'Sabko Shiksha Acchi Shiksa (Good Education to All) and has taken a number of efforts in this regards, he said. On the fee structure, he said students from the ST and SC communities, from theBPL category and physically challenged have full waiver of fees in IITs and NITs.
