Technical education: WB team to hold talks

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, JAN. 8. A five-member World Bank team will hold high- level discussions with an Indian delegation, on the perspective plan for creating Centres of Excellence in Technical Education in the country, on the REC campus here on January 10 and 11.

Once materialised, the project would transform about 50 institutions in the country into National Institutes of Technology, imparting high-quality education in engineering, meeting international standards as in the case of the Indian Institute of Technology.

Announcing this at a press conference here today, the Calicut REC Principal, Dr. M. P. Chandrasekharan, who is also the convener of the "National Core Group" (headed by the former Delhi IIT Director, Prof.V.S.Raju) which submitted its report on the project, said the Central Government proposes to seek an assistance of Rs.10,000 crores from the World Bank for the project. Each REC will get an assistance of Rs.300 crores as grant for implementing the plan proposals.

The project aims at creating a sizable number, say 40 or 50, of institutions offering degree, post-graduate and research level programmes in engineering and technology, using the infrastructure expertise and environment available in the 17 Regional Engineering Colleges and some other good institutions, both Government and aided.

"It is indeed a matter of proud for the Calicut REC that it was chosen for hosting the talks, the first step towards creation of excellence in technical education in the country, he said

Though there has been a considerable increase in the number of engineering institutions in the country, there were only five or six which satisfied international standards in education, viz the five IITs and the IISC in Bangalore. The project mission will be accomplished by understanding the characteristics of world class institutions, defining the objectives and realising these through a plan of action, stretching up to ten years.

The Special Secretary of Education, Higher Education Secretaries of all States and the Principals of all 17 Regional Engineering Colleges will form part of the Indian delegation.

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Section  : Southern States
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