NaMo likely to Keep His Promise: ISM-Dhanbad might Get IIT Status

This could be very early for the student community and teachers of ISM-Dhanbad to celebrate, but there are high hopes still for the institute to upgrade itself with IIT status.

In a report presented by a panel of experts which was formed to look into the plea of the ISM-Dhanbad up-gradation, has rejected it, but PM, Narendra Modi is very much likely in favor of converting this one of the prestigious institute into an IIT.

As per the highly placed sources in HRD ministry, there are high chances of the Modi Government overruling the report which was presented by the panel of experts and was headed by Professor Ashok Mishra, former director of IIT-Bombay, who advised against the ISM-Dhanbad conversion into IIT.

According to other members of the panel, Professor Prem Kalra, director, IIT-Jodhpur and Bhaskar Ramamurthy, director, IIT-Madras, the rampant conversion of institutes may harm the brand IIT.

As per the report, the up-gradation of institutes into IITs has not been efficient and had not resulted beneficial in terms of research and academics.

According to sources, the report was to be discussed last Monday in a meeting of the Council of IIT, which is headed by the HRD minister Smriti Irani, but couldn’t materialize as Irani was not convinced with the recommendation of the committee. It is also known that the report may be overruled, as informed by the source.

The mighty reason of the report being not accepted could be the promise made by Modi during the election rallies in the state of Jharkhand. In a statement made by Modi, slamming the UPA government said that, “ISM is Asia’s one of the most prestigious institutes and I do not understand why people at Delhi can not avail it the status of an IIT.”

The historic win of BJP is the result of many such promises made by Modi during the rallies where thousands of people from all corner gathered. BJP won 12 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand and the state now seeks the PM to fulfill his promises.

Registrar of ISM, Col (retd) M.K. Singh said, “We have heard of the committee report not in favor of giving ISM an IIT status, but the decision of HRD minister shall be final and we have kept our fingers crossed.”

It has been more than four years, the discussion of ISM converting into an IIT has been initiated. In the 12th Plan document which was approved by the National Development Council headed by the Prime Minister had provided the plea of ISM up-gradation. The Mishra committee was then set up for follow-up action.

Established in the year 1926, fully funded by the central government, ISM was accorded deemed-to-be university status in 1967. IISc Bangalore bagged the same status after nine years of ISM.

The institute offers Bachelor and Masters programmes in engineering along with PhD programmes in 18 departments, primarily engineering branches.

The institute is known globally for the world class research programmes in mining and minerals sectors, the intake of ISM is done through the same JEE-Advanced as the IITs have. The institute had also participated this year in the international ranking process by the London-based Times Higher Education.