Demand for IIT status for IT-BHU gets boost

The process of upgrading Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU) to a full fledged IIT has gathered momentum after the HRD Ministry prepared a detailed proposal on the issue.

The Ministry of HRD has prepared a detailed proposal for approval of Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) for converting IT-BHU into an IIT.

"The EFC note is ready. After EFC clearance, it will be sent to Cabinet for approval," a senior ministry official told PTI here.
  
About 500 alumni, students and teachers of the institute recently came to Delhi and launched a campaign in support of their demand. The students and teachers met HRD Minister Arjun Singh, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and about 120 MPs and apprised them about their demand.

They were assured that their demand would be fulfilled very soon, Puneet Bindish, an alumni, said.

The government has started six new IITs in the current session, while it will start two others in 2009-10 session. IT-BHU will be an addition to the list if it is given the IIT status.

IIT status for IT-BHU has been long standing demand of the institute. Earlier, S K Joshi committee in 2003 had recommended that seven technical institutions, including IT-BHU and Zakir Hussain College under AMU, should be upgraded to IITs.

The government has been mulling over the proposal for long, but no decision was taken yet.   

Meanwhile, students from Zakir Hussain College under Aligarh Muslim University have demanded IIT status for their institute. They are of the view that it is a premier college and has played a pioneering role in promoting technical education in the country.