IIITs would now get National Importance Status

In the ongoing winter session in Parliament, the Lok Sabha has given nod to the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) Bill, 2014, under which some of the IT institutions would be given national importance and would be provided with manpower of global standards to make the academic activity reach world-class standards.

Under the bill the existing four IIITs are going to get independent statutory status and would be granted as institutions of national importance, which would help them to grant degrees to their students. There were criticisms against the bill that were tabled in the parliament allegations were made against the government that the bill would alter the governance structures of the IIITs. Replying to it the HRD minister Smriti Irani said, “The IIIT governance structure was like that of the IITs and the NIITs which were formed by acts of Parliament. So to question it is to question an act of Parliament.”

She further added, “We are trying to improve the quality of education in the institutions we have. We want to bring in a process through which advertisements would be put out for faculty members.”

Important Points

• IIIT Bill 2014 passed by Lok Sabha
• Under the bill the IT institutions would be given national importance
• It will help to grant degrees to their students