Expert Panel and UGC reject IoE tag for Jadavpur University and Jamia Hamdard

An expert panel and the University Grants Commission UGC have recommended against granting the coveted Institutions of Eminence IoE status to Jadavpur University and Jamia Hamdard University These universities had been shortlisted by the Centre for consideration of the IoE tag but the recommendations from the expert panel and UGC have raised doubts about their eligibilityFurthermore sources indicate that the Tamil Nadu government has taken a step back from its earlier proposal to confer the IoE status upon Anna UniversityThe Ministry of Education is yet to take call on the recommendations by the Empowered Expert Committee EEC and the University Grants Commission UGCJadavpur University a state public varsity had initially submitted a proposal with budget outlay of Rs 3299 crore under the scheme Subsequently the Ministry had sought financial commitment from the West Bengal government for their share of funds since the scheme has a provision to fund up to Rs 1000 crore of the proposed outlay only and to ensure continuity of funds for the implementation plans in case of any shortfall a top official privy to the development told PTIAlso readCentre refuses to interfere in exorbitant airfares for travel to KeralaHowever the same was not agreed to by West Bengal government and it revised the proposal first to Rs 1015 crore and then again revised steeply downward to Rs 606 crore with 25 per cent of the amount to be generated by the university at its level Noticing a significant decrease in the budget outlay the matter was referred to the UGC and EEC to examine the proposal afresh and both of them recommended the Ministry of Education to not consider the university for IoE status the official addedNo response was available from the three universities on the issueThe Education Ministry had launched the IoE scheme in 2018 as per which 20 institutions were to be selected 10 public and 10 private ones that would enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomyIn the first lot Indian Institute of Technology Delhi IIT Bombay and the Bengalurubased Indian Institute of Science IISc were awarded the IoE status in the public sector and Manipal Academy of Higher Education and BITS Pilani in the private sector while the Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation was given the tag in Greenfield categoryIn 2019 five public institutions including Delhi University Banaras Hindu University University of Hyderabad IITMadras and IITKharagpur were granted the statusA Letter of Intent for granting the IoE status was also issued to five private universities Amrita Vidyapeetham and Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu Odishas Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Jamia Hamdard University in Delhi and Satya Bharti Foundations Bharti Instiute in MohaliSimilarly governments of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu were asked to indicate their commitment towards contribution to Jadavpur University and Anna University to enable them to have the IoE tagOn the recommendation of EEC and UGC the Ministry had sought financial commitment from the Tamil Nadu government for its share of funds under the scheme to make good of the shortfall in funds if any to ensure proper execution of implementation plans under the IoE Scheme However the state government refused any financial commitment owing to its financial condition and informed that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had passed a bill bifurcating the University into Anna Technological and Research University and Anna UniversityAlso a committee set up by the Tamil Nadu government recommended that Anna University does not require IoE status Therefore the state government has withdrawn the proposal submitted earlier to confer the status of IoE on the university the official saidWhile the government will provide funding up to Rs 1000 crore to public institutions with IoE tag in case of private institutions proposed as Institutions of Eminence there will be no financial support But they will be entitled to more autonomy as a special category Deemed UniversityFollowing the Supreme Court order division of Hamdard National Foundation HNF into Hamdard Education and Cultural Aid Committee HECA and Medical Relief and Education Committee MREC based on the resolution of the family settlement deed is proposed Since IoE status was granted in toto the EEC after due deliberation has recommended to not consider the institution for IoE status the official saidAccording to a Parliamentary panel the Ministry of Education has informed that the draft MoUs received from four private institutions JIO Institute Vellore Institute of Technology Vellore Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Bhubaneswar and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Coimbatore recommended for IoE status have been forwarded to the UGC for placing it before the EEC and forward its advice Agencies