Lok Sabha Passes Bill Allowing IIT's To Award MTech & Ph.D. Degrees

The bill was introduced by HRD minister Prakash Javadekar during the Budget session in March. And the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, permitting Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) to award degrees, including MTech and Ph.D., as issued by autonomous universities.

It allows the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) in Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) to award degrees to students. IIITDM will be the fifth centrally-funded IIIT, once the law is enacted.

The proposed law includes IIITDM, Kurnool, in the principal law Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) Act, 2014 which confers the status of "Institutions of National Importance" on the IIITs. The role of the central government in the appointment of the chairman of the board of governors and the director to the 15 IITs has been removed.

Replying to a debate on the bill, Javadekar stressed that the fees for poor will not increase because of the new measure. He also said that the reservation law will apply to these institutes as elsewhere in the country. He said besides fees, research grants and projects will make up for the expenses.
"There might be a slight increase for those who have the capacity to bear. But for the poor (students), there will be scholarships available," the minister said.

The academic session has commenced in 15 such IIITs, including in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana and West Bengal. The first batch of undergraduate students enrolled in 2013-14 will be passing out this year.