Question : INSTITUTION OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE

(a) the criteria/norms prescribed for declaring higher professional educational institutions as Institutions of National Importance;

(b) whether there is any proposal to classify any institution in Kerala as Institution of National Importance and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has upgraded many institutes as Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology in the country; and

(d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise for each of the last three years and the current year?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a): The Central Government establishes higher educational institutions from time to time. For qualitative development of these institutions including their degree giving authority, they are declared as Institutions of National Importance through Acts of Parliament.

(b): The Government of India has accepted Anandakrishnan Committee’s recommendations to upgrade Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi (Kerala) into Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) an ‘Institution of National Importance’.

(c) & (d): The erstwhile Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), Shibpur has recently been upgraded as Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur an ‘Institution of National Importance’ on 4th March, 2014 under the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007. The Institute of Technology – Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU), which was a constituent unit of Banaras Hindu University (Uttar Pradesh), has also been converted into Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), Varanasi an Institution of National Importance on 29.06.2012 with the enactment of the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2012.