Question : AUTONOMY TO IITs

(a) whether the Government is considering to grant more financial and administrative autonomy to IIT Council with accountability;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Joint Council of IIT has placed any proposal to enhance the student fee from existing Rs. 50,000/- to Rs. 2 lakhs;

(d) if so, whether exemption shall be granted to SC/ST/Minority students;

(e) if so, the details thereof;

(f) whether the Government shall advise Public Sector Banks to give concessional loans to the students; and

(g) if so, the mode to repay the loan by the students/parents if the loan carries exorbitant rate of interest?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. D. PURANDESWARI)

(a) & (b): There is no proposal to grant any financial and administrative autonomy to IIT Council which is governed by the institutes of Technology Act, 1961.

(c) to (e): The IIT Council has proposed enhancement of fees which would be recovered from the students on getting employment. It has been proposed by Dr. Kakodkar Committee, constituted by the Council of IITs, that 100% tuition fee would be provided to the reserved category students by the Government; 25% of the total UG students (with parental income less than Rs. 4.5 lakhs per annum) and all Masters and Ph.D. students would, like-wise, be provided 100% freeship. In addition, the Scheme would include a stipend to cover the cost of living for the reserved category (SC and ST only) and any socio- economically disadvantaged students from the families with income below Rs. 4.5 lakhs per annum.

(f) & (g): Dr. Kakodkar Committee has recommended for special loan schemes for the students of IITs, detailed modalities of which have not yet been worked out.