IITS AS CHANGE AGENTS FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION
2.1 One of the objectives of creating the IIT system was to raise the level of technical education in the country. Some success has been achieved but much more needs to be done to match upto the potential challenges and opportunity which exist. The Quality Improvement Program has enabled IITs to play an important role in providing faculty for other engineering institutions. However, the close association envisaged with Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) has remained sporadic and transactional.
2.2 The existing Quality Improvement Program should be intensified to provide a more purposeful relationship between the RECs and the IITs in the joint Ph.D. and Masters Programmes. This would lead to interchange of both faculty and students between IITs & RECs. In fact, it would be advantageous if selected REC students could spend one full semester at the associated IITs.
2.3 The Group finds that the primary reason for tenuous relationship between IITs & RECs, has been (a) the financial structuring of the latter and, (b) their compulsory affiliation to one on the other of the State universities. This has hampered their ability to react speedily to changes in course structure, and, more importantly, introduced an impediment in their growth. The indifference of their governing bodies and frequent interference in the day-to day administration, in view of complex pressures at State level, has compounded matters.
To provide demonstrative proof that an alternative model would be more suitable, the Group recommends that one REC in each region be affiliated to an IIT and the necessary budgetary support be provided by the Central Government to relieve pressure on the finances of the State Governments. This would not only permit a closer and more productive collaboration with the IIT system but also assist in altering the ethos of the selected RECs. In fact, it would be expected that the RECs would progressively work towards financial self-sufficiency by developing new revenue streams and enhancing existing ones.
The Group recommends that the relevant provisions of the IIT Act should be extended to the RECs by which they acquire greater operational freedom and gain the status of deemed universities. Though such a scheme is already being processed, it is the view of the Group that this should be consciously accelerated.
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