Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha today passed the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) Bill 2007 moved by Shri Murli Deora, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Shri Deora had introduced the bill in the Rajya Sabha on 7th September, 2007.
Speaking while moving the Bill for consideration of the House, Shri Deora emphasized that the Institute has been designed to serve as a fountain head for nurturing world class human resources capable of serving as leaders and innovators of tomorrow in the field of petroleum technology. He informed that the academic operations will commence by admitting students in basic undergraduate courses from the next academic year i.e. 2008-09. Elaborating the need of such an Institute as an Institute of the national importance, Shri Deora pointed to the fact of increasing E&P activities ever since launch of New Exploration Licensing Policy in 1999. NELP has evoked great enthusiasm among Indian and foreign companies. He also informed the House that Government has planned to increase exploration coverage to 100% by year 2015 from about 30% of Indian sedimentary basins as on date. As per a study, the gap between the availability and requirement of trained manpower in the field of petroleum technology in India would be about 36,000 by the year 2019.
Referring to the need of RGIPT enjoying support of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India, Shri Deora said “It is in the interest of the nation that the Government nurture the Institute in its nascent and crucial stage of development to enable the Institute to launch and run its programmes without compromise and set up world-class infrastructure while offering courses of a high standard”. He added, “In the absence of the status of the “Institute of National Importance”, it would not be possible to attract eminent faculty members and meritorious students”.
Following is the uncorrected text of the statement by Shri Murli Deora while moving the Bill for consideration of the House:
“Sir, I move :
That the Bill to declare the institution known as the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology to be an institution of national importance and to provide for its incorporation and matters connected therewith, be taken into consideration.
Sir, the Government introduced the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology Bill 2007 in the Rajya Sabha on 7th September, 2007.
I would like to apprise the hon’ble Members about the need of setting up of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology and its declaration as the “Institute of National Importance”. The year 1999 witnessed the advent of the New Exploration Licensing Policy which has been progressively made more and more attractive. This policy has evoked great enthusiasm among foreign companies as well as Indian private and public sector companies for acquiring exploration acreages in India. As on date, only 30% of the sedimentary basins in India has been explored. It is planned to increase the exploration coverage to an extent of 100% by the year 2015. In this context, apart from technology, availability of adequate number of qualified personnel would be a prime requirement in the coming years.
Sir, in a recent study conducted by consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers for Petrofed, it is estimated that the gap between the availability and requirement of trained manpower in the field of Petroleum Technology in India would be about 36000 by the year 2019. To substantially meet the shortfall of trained manpower in the petroleum sector, it has been decided by the Government to set up Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) at Jais, UP.
The institute is designed to serve as the fountainhead for the nurturing of world class technical human resources capable of serving as the leaders and innovators of tomorrow in the field of Petroleum Technology. To start with, the Institute will commence its academic operations by admitting students in basic undergraduate courses from the academic year 2008-09, from a rented campus. On its becoming fully operational the Institute would have 7 B. Tech, 6 Integrated Masters Degrees, 8 M.Tech/MBA and 12 PGD and Ph.D programmes.
The total estimated capital cost of the project is Rs. 435 crores which would be met partially through budgetary support of Rs. 285 crores and Rs. 150 crores from Oil Industry Development Board. The total estimated recurring expenditure of Rs. 260.58 crores would be met from the accrual of interest on Endowment Fund of Rs. 250.00 crores to be created with the contribution of Oil Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), student fees, donations and other earnings of the Institute. The Institute is envisaged to be self sufficient by the year 2015-16.
It is proposed that RGIPT would have a high degree of autonomy in terms of its academic, administrative and financial functioning. RGIPT would have legal empowerment in its own right to enable it to grant degrees and other academic distinctions and titles. Furthermore, it is envisaged that RGIPT would enjoy the patronage and support of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas of Government of India. It is in the interest of the nation that the Government nurture the Institute in its nascent and crucial stage of development to enable the Institute to launch and run its programmes without compromise and set up world-class infrastructure while offering courses of a high standard. In the absence of the status of the “Institute of National Importance”, it would not be possible to attract eminent faculty members and meritorious students.
In view of the proposed mode of establishment of RGIPT as outlined above, it is proposed that RGIPT be incorporated as an ‘Institute of National Importance’ through an Act of Parliament having a governance structure as well as legal empowerment to grant degrees in a manner similar to that enjoyed by the IITs”.
RCJ/ls
(Release ID :33562)