IIIT Amethi campus was illegal, students were upset: Prakash Javadekar

IIITs, under law, are not authorised to open extension centres.

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Union Human Resource Development Minister, Prakash Javadekar, speaks in the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on Thursday during the ongoing monsoon session. (PTI Photo/TV grab)

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has justified the winding up of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Amethi, saying the decision was taken because students were unhappy with the facilities on campus.

“Firstly, this wasn’t a full-fledged IIIT in Amethi, but an off-campus centre of IIIT in Allahabad. IIITs, under law, are not authorised to open extension centres. So the one in Amethi [Rajiv Gandhi IIIT, set up in 2005] was technically illegal,” Javadekar told The Indian Express Thursday.

“Secondly, this centre had no permanent faculty. Every day, one teacher from IIIT Allahabad would travel to Amethi to teach four classes. There were no appropriate arrangements and students were unhappy about this.” Javadekar added many students had felt cheated about being transferred to the Amethi centre when they had actually opted to study at IIIT Allahabad.

“Of the 260 students studying at Amethi, only one was a local student. So this institute wasn’t really benefiting the people of Amethi. What they need is a college offering courses in arts, commerce and sciences. From August 20, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University will open a satellite unit to run graduation and postgraduation programmes that cater to local requirements. National Skill Development Corporation will also run a skilling centre from here,” he said.

Ritika Chopra

Ritika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More

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