'Truly unique' IIHS Bangalore must grow,says govt panel

An empowered committee of experts, set up to select institutions for 'Institute of Eminence' (IoE) tag, has recommended “necessary flexibility” in the regulatory framework to enable the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bangalore to grow further.

It described the IIHS as a “truly unique and important institution for strategic needs of the country”.

The 4-member panel under former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami, submitted its report to the government on selection of the first batch of six educational institutions, including Reliance Foundation's yet-to-be-born Jio Institute, for grant of the IoE tag.

It also recommended giving similar leeway to the Indian Institute of Public Health in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

“The area of work of these two institutions—urbanisation and public health— are being pursued in a manner that no conventional or existing institution is otherwise attempting,” the panel noted.

The two institutions were also in the race for IoE tag along with 112 others. The empowered committee did not select them.

The panel noted that these two institutions may not be eligible “for a long time for world ranking” in view of the focused areas in which they work.

“But looking at the strategic nature of their work, it is recommended that these two institutions be encouraged and given necessary flexibility in regulatory framework (similar to category I autonomy under a UGC regulation), funds and other such dispensation as deemed fit, subject to the usual stipulations of ensuring their subsequent accountability,” it added.

Lack of research

The panel noted, from its interactions with the applicants for IoE tag, that the lack of research-oriented culture is “the biggest barrier” in Indian universities' pursuit to figure in global ranking.

To address the issue, it recommended that the government should establish a central research grant fund, similar to the National Science Foundation in the United States, to allow university researchers from any institution to compete for grants under the fund.

The panel also recommended appreciating the work of the Gandhigram Rural Institute of Higher Education, located in Dindigal district of Tamil Nadu, by “helping” it with additional funds and other support.