Ordinance may pave way for eight new IITs

With this, the number of IITs will touch 16. The new IITs will be set up in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

"The requisite amendments in the IIT Act will be carried out," said Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The amendments are likely to be carried out through an ordinance. Observers say the Centre has fast-tracked the setting up of these IITs in the light of the impending vote of confidence in Parliament on July 22.

The academic sessions of six new IITs will start on July 23. The IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat will start their session with 120 students each in temporary campuses.

They will be mentored by IIT-Madras, IIT-Guwahati and IIT-Bombay, respectively. The IITs in Rajasthan, Punjab and Orissa will be mentored by IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Kharagpur, respectively. These IITs would also host the classes of the new institutes, said a government release.

IITs in Indore and Himachal Pradesh will start their session from 2009-10. The respective state governments will provide 600 acres for the institutes.

The Cabinet also approved amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill, 2005, pending in the Rajya Sabha. The new amendments will help check trade of spurious drugs.

OTHER CABINET DECISIONS

Creation of posts of director and medical superintendent in six AIIMS-like institutions, to be set up in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.

Rs 1,280.96 crore for six launches of the Geo Synchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) between 2010 and 2012.

Signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and Gobind Vallabh Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development in Almora.

Ratification of Belarus' accession to Annexe B of the Kyoto Protocol. This will help Belarus contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.

Signing of an extradition treaty with Brazil.