Javadekar also rued over the fact that although an IT superpower, India does not have a Google, Facebook, Twitter or a Microsoft to its credit.
To encourage Start Ups, Javadekar said, a decision has been taken under which students can give their hostel address if they are to start any new venture, the HRD minister said.
The IITs have registered over 757 patents, he said.
To give a boost to the research, the government has started Imprint project under which 483 projects have been short-listed of which Rs 450 will be finalised. These projects will be given a funding of Rs 1 to Rs 5 crore.
“Funding is one of the reason why students go abroad.
Foreign universities fund projects. Under this scheme funding is available and there is no need to go abroad because of funding,” Javadekar said.
Terming ragging as an offence committed only by a smaller section of people, Javadekar said students’ mentorship programme can be started in IITs under the guidance of seniors.
Earlier moving the bill for consideration, he said the focus so far had been on expansion of education but “we all should now worry about accountability, quality and affordability.”
Describing IITs, NITs and IIMs among others as “our institues of pride”, he said a number of new IITs are now going to open which is a “big event” for Indian education.
Referring to low international ranking of the IITs, he said there was a need to boost perception about them as well as perception carries over 40 per cent weightage in the global evalusation.
“The bill is an important milestone,” he said.
Gaurav Gogoi (Cong) supported the bill on behalf of his party and India should work to reclaim its earlier status of “inspiring” the world in the field of knowledge, mentioning ancient universities of Taxila and Nalanda.
Taking a veiled dig at former HRD Minister Smriti Irani, whom Javadekar has succeeded, over the government’s “sour” relations with the institutes, he said the centre should give the IITs autonomy and the respect they deserve.
He opposed the hike in the fee at the institutes and Deputy Speaker Thambi Durai, who was in the Chair, also seemed to be supporting at he drew Javadekar’s attention to this also the need for counselling for students, some of whom under pressure take extreme steps, incuding committing suicide.
Sourced from PTI, Featured image courtesy: www.engineering.careers360.com
