HRD Minister opens science meet

8220;The government has a budget of Rs 4000-crore to develop educational initiatives across the country. Soon, we will have six Indian Institutes of Technology, 10 MNNITs Motilal Nehru national Institute of Information Technology, one Indian Institute of Management, 20 IIIT, 30 Central universities, 374 degree colleges, five Indian Institute of Science and 1,000 polytechnics under the 11th Five Year Plan,8221; said Singh.

He added the government has agreed to implement the G K Chadha Committee8217;s suggestions regarding pay scales and other benefits of teachers in Central universities and degree colleges.

The panel has recommended a 75 per cent hike in existing salaries across the board, uniform retirement age of 65, opportunities for re-employment up to 70 years, flexibility to accommodate talent through incentives and one-time grants for research for teachers in Central, state and deemed universities.

The minister further said the Central government is all set to make primary education a fundamental right across the country. A bill in this regard has already been tabled in the Parliament.

Noble laureates Sir Harod Harry Walter Kroto and Jerome Isaac Friedman interacted with nearly 750 toppers from different school, colleges and universities at the IIIT-A campus.