Proposal to grant IIT status to Andhra University Engineering College not under consideration

40 per cent of students in IITs are from Andhra region, says JNTU-K Vice-Chancellor VISAKHAPATNAM: Now it is official. The dream of North Andhra people to have premier institutes IIT and IIM in the city as per proposals mooted by the State Government is now shattered with Centre rejecting it outright.

The United Progressive Alliance Government’s contention is that whichever State is sanctioned one IIT or IIM should not have the second one. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made an emphatic declaration during his visit to the city in January 2008 that the demand for IIM in Vizag was ‘legitimate’ and would ask Union Human Resources Minister to take necessary action.

Now there is also a full-stop to the demand for IIT. The proposal to grant IIT status to Andhra University Engineering College was okayed in-principle by the Union HRD Ministry after an experts’ team visited the campus here. However, that proposal is also not under consideration.

Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D. Purandeswari told The Hindu on the sidelines of a seminar on green buildings on AU campus that the Prime Minister had directed not to consider any demand for second IIT in States where sanction was accorded for opening one. “As a matter a principle to promote balanced development, IIM sanction would not be sanctioned in States where one IIT will be located,” she said.

She said the decision at the highest level was taken to prevent geographic disparities and ensure development in all the regions.

Earlier, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University (Kakinada) Allam Appa Rao represented to the Minister to consider the IIT demand favourably.

He said it was a fact that 40 per cent of students from IITs were from Andhra region and the State should have the second IIT in the city.