The Lok Sabha has passed the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to set up six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Tirupati, Palakkad, Goa, Dharwad, Bhilai, and Jammu. It also seeks to bring the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad within the ambit of the Act. All these institutions will be declared as institutions of national importance.
The Bill seeks to amend the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 to add six new IITs as institutions of national importance.
key points of this Bill
- Human Resource Development Minister Minister Prakash Javadekar said, the government is focusing on providing quality education to all. He said, to improve the infrastructure and research facilities in the institutes, the government has formed High Education Financial Agency.
- students from the ST and SC communities, from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and Divyaang have full waiver of fees in the IITs and NITs. those whose family income is below 9 lakh rupees per annum will also get interest free per cent education loan.
- the issue of high fee of IIT coaching class entrance exam, the government has started online programme IIT-PAL. Under this programme the students can take free tutorials, exams,homework.
- the government has been working to provide Wi-Fi connectivity to all universities in the country which will slowly be extended to the colleges affiliated to it as well in next two years.
