Second-gen IITs had student, infrastructure and faculty misalignment: Panel

The parliamentary panel, chaired by Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has issued a comprehensive report highlighting the challenges faced by second-generation IITs in both infrastructure development and faculty recruitment. Initiated in 2012, these endeavors were intended to match the increasing student intake. However, the report, based on a 2021 CAG audit of eight IITs, including Jodhpur, Mandi, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Bhubaneshwar, Ropar, and Patna, reveals significant delays in infrastructure creation, particularly for IITs in Hyderabad, Mandi, Ropar, Gandhinagar, and Indore.

The panel questioned the Ministry of Education’s expansive expansion of the IIT system, raising concerns about the lack of available and suitable land from state governments. The report emphasized the need for enhanced due diligence in the site selection process to avoid unsuitable land allocations by some state governments.

Additionally, the report delved into the specific challenges contributing to construction delays, including prolonged timelines for design finalization, regulatory clearances, statutory approvals, labor shortages, and remote locations. It acknowledged the consistent efforts of IITs in faculty recruitment but noted a disconnect between the pace of recruitment and student intake, resulting in persistent faculty vacancies until March 2019.

In light of these findings, the report recommended a thorough evaluation of the site selection process and proactive measures by the Ministry of Education to address challenges. It underscored the importance of aligning infrastructure development, faculty recruitment, and land selection processes for the effective growth of second-generation IITs.

Source: PTI