The HRD Ministry on Tuesday recommended three Central Universities, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) each besides an Indian Institute of Science and Educational Research (IISER) and an IIT for the Seemandhra region. Serious concerns were being raised that post-Andhra Pradesh bifurcation the region will be educationally ‘backward’.
The Ministry sent its plan accordingly to the Home Ministry, which is likely to forward the representation to the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Telangana and other stakeholders.
“The move is aimed at striking a balance between the two regions — Telangana and Seemandhra — as far as establishment of premier institutes are concerned, though the end objective is to ensure that students derive maximum benefit,” said an HRD Ministry official.
Rough estimate suggests an investment in the range of `6,000 to `7,000 crore for establishment of these institutes. HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju represents the Kakinanda constituency in Seemandhra.
Even as anti-Telangana protests continued, the GoM on Telangana had written to the HRD Ministry asking it to chalk out plans for setting up higher education institutions like the IITs and IIMs besides others of repute in the Seemandhra region.
Sources said that a committee headed by HRD Secretary Ashok Thakur has chalked out a plan to put some of the best known Centrally-funded educational institutes in Seemandhra region. The Ministry would, however, not identify the place or location as it would be done with due consultation with State Government and other stakeholders.
Three Central universities- University of Hyderabad, The English and Foreign languages University (EFlU) and the Maulana Azad National Urdu University as well as the Indian Institute of Technology, National Institute of Technology (NIT) and the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences are now part of Telangana.
Sources said the HRD Ministry faced serious financial hurdles due to logistical problems and curtailment of funding by the Planning Commission.
“There was a very limited scope for funds in the 12th plan period (2012-’17) after 16 new Central universities, seven new IITs and six new IIMs which were opened in the 11th plan period (2007-’12). The Planning Commission froze new Central institutes in the 12th plan,” the official said.
The GoM on Telangana will meet eight political parties on November 12 and 13 to discuss various issues concerning the creation of separate Telangana. Congress, BJP, TDP, CPI, CPI(M), TRS, YSR Congress and MIM will be called separately to meet the high-powered ministerial panel to know their views on the process of the division of Andhra Pradesh, assets, river water besides other related issues including education.