IIT Council meeting: Financial autonomy, empowering institutes to appoint chariman on agenda

A new model of financial autonomy, an option for academically weak students to exit early and empowering the Board of Governors to appoint the chairperson are matters likely to be discussed at Friday's IIT Council meeting, sources said.

The meeting of the Council, which is the highest decision-making body of all the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), will be chaired by Human Resources Minister Prakash Javadekar.

According to sources, the Council will consider a proposal to empower the Boards of Governors of IITs to pick their respective members and chairpersons.

"Presently, the HRD Ministry appoints them. This autonomy is on the lines of what has been granted to the IIMs under the new IIM Act," a source said on Thursday.

The agenda for the meeting also includes a proposal for the IITs to consider providing students an option to exit a course after six semesters rather than dropping out and a new model of financial autonomy for the institutes.

When the new HRD minister took over he had suggested that one meeting of the IIT Council in a year was not adequate and it should meet more often, the source said.

"It was felt that it should be seen if there is a need to amend the IIT Act to provide for more frequent meetings of the council. The discussion may be taken up in the meeting," the source said.

The Council coordinates the activities of all IITs. It is mandated to advise on matters relating to the duration of the courses, degrees and other academic distinctions to be conferred by the institutes, admission standards, and other academic matters.

It is also expected to lay down policies regarding cadres, methods of recruitment, and conditions of service of employees, institution of scholarships, levying of fees, matters of common interest, and to examine the development plans of each institute.

The Council comprises of top government functionaries, IIT and regulatory officials. It also includes three nominated members of Parliament.