Representative image: There is a UGC move to control IITsEvery time a government changes at the centre, the Indian institutes of technology and Indian institutes of management are drawn into controversies. When NDA first came to power, a hue and cry was raised that the then human resources development minister Murli Manohar Joshi wanted to control them. The directors of these institutes, especially of IIM Ahmedabad had raised the autonomy flag saying that they cannot be dictated by bureaucrats. The tussle went on for several years. The Congress which was in the opposition protested against saffronsiation efforts. When UPA came to power, its first HRD minister Arjun Singh promised full autonomy to these institutions of excellence.
But over the years there were complaints that the centre wanted to exercise subtle influence on these institutions. There were allegations from BJP that there was a creeping trend to curtain the autonomy of the institutions through the governing boards. Some of the moves made by Pallam Raju, who succeeded Kapil Sibal, led to controversies.
This time the IITs have raised the red flag over the demand made by the Universities Grants Commission that the IITs should take the commission's approval to conduct four year undergraduate programmes. This has come after the UGC used its muscle to force the Delhi University to scrap the four year programme which was introduced with the blessings of the UPA government. Students unions of BJP and left parties had agitated against the four year programme, and the new HRD minister Smriti Irani was sympathetic towards return to the three year duration for undergraduate courses. Finally the UGC, which is under Irani, directed the university to change the programme.
The UGC also directed all universities coming under it not to go for four year courses. Only exception was made to national institutes like Indian institute of science, Bangalore to go ahead with the four year courses in view of the subject specialisation. The IITs which run four year engineering courses say their course tenure was fixed long ago and they never took permission of the commission. Most of the engineering colleges in the country have four year courses but they come under the All India Technical Education Council. Similarly, medical colleges come under the Indian medical council. The IITs have insisted that they take very bright students who not only study well, but secure big jobs and big paychecks, compared to other engineering colleges. They would not allow any inroads by the commission. It is to be seen whether the UGC move to control IITs will end as a storm in a tea cup or lead to a major confrontation in the corridors of higher education.
Tailpiece: E S L Narasimhan, who is the governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, has a piquant problem when he visits Delhi. Both the new states want him to use their facilities. While the old governor's suite has gone to Telangana during the division of assets of Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, Narasimhan plans to use the cars belonging to the two states on an alternating basis. He uses staff from both the states.
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