New Delhi: Paving the way for creation of
a new IIT in Varanasi, the Finance Ministry on Tuesday gave the go-
ahead to a proposal to convert Institute of Technology of
Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU) to an IIT.
The Expenditure Finance Committee under the Ministry
cleared the HRD Ministry`s proposal to provide additional Rs
238 crore grant to IT-BHU in the next three years. Now the
matter will now go to the Cabinet for consideration.
As per the proposal, the government will provide Rs
154 crore in remaining period of 11th Plan and another Rs 83
crore in the first year of the 12th Plan.
The Banaras Hindu University Act will have to be
amended to convert the IT-BHU to an IIT. The IIT Act of 1961
will also have to be amended to include IT-BHU as an IIT,
ministry sources said.
At present, there are 15 IITs in the country. ISM
Dhanbad is also considered as institute of IIT standards.
An HRD Ministry committee in 2003 recommended IIT
status for seven institutions. However, another committee of
the ministry later did not support IIT status for all the
seven institutions, but suggested the status of IT-BHU.
IT-BHU, like all other faculties and departments of
BHU, was created during in 1971 by the merger of three premier
engineering institutions of the university.
The institute has so far produced more than 22,000
B.Tech graduates, 2700 M. Techs and 650 doctoral degree
holders.
PTI
