The Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has turned down the State government proposal to upgrade the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) into an Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST)
Confirming the development, Education Minister P.K. Abdu Rabb told The Hindu on Wednesday that Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal had made it clear that the State could not be given both an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an IIEST.
Mr. Sibal revealed his Ministry’s stance when the Cusat’s upgradation was taken up at the discussions held with the Cabinet delegation in New Delhi on Monday.
Mr. Rabb said that the State never wanted to lose the prestigious IIT project and hence could not exert further pressure on the Union government to give its nod for the upgradation of Cusat.
Lack of funds
The Education Minister said that the Union government would not be able to fund both the IIT and IIEST projects simultaneously.He said that the major chunk of investments for the IIT project will come from the Centre.
The State has to provide about 600 acres for setting up the IIT. He said that the IIT project would be implemented as part of the 12 {+t} {+h} Plan Programme. It will come up at the land already identified in Palakkad, he said.
Cusat upgradation was listed among the key projects taken up by during the two-day visit of the State Cabinet to New Delhi.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) government had taken up the proposal immediately after it came to power. The government had also conveyed its desire to upgrade the university into an IIEST.
But the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had informed the MHRD that Cusat should be upgraded into an IIT and not an IIEST.
A section of the teachers and employees had also opposed the Ministry’s move to provide the framework of a National Institute of Technology for the proposed IIEST.
- State cannot be given both IIT and IIEST, says Delhi
- IIT to come up at Palakkad as part of the 12 {+t} {+h} Plan