Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, April 30, 2007
Bengal Engineering and Science University (Besu) may have to wait for some more time before becoming an Institute of National Importance (INI). The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) in a letter has asked the state to hand over Besu to the Centre for upgradation, before it gets an INI status. However, the state is keeping its options open.
The Anadkrishnan Committee selected Besu to be upgraded to the status of Indian Institute of Science, Engineering and Technology (IISET). If upgraded, BESU will have an almost equal status as those of the IIT’s.
The Bengal Engineering and Science University Teachers Association (BESUTA) on Monday met the state higher education minister Sudarsan Roychoudhuri. “We are not opposed to handing over BESU to the Centre, but it needs some discussion,” said Roychoudhuri. “Besu as been brought up to its present stature by the people of Bengal and it has been selected as a top engineering college by the Centre. Then how can the Centre not listen to us?” he added.
The state government is also not very happy with the Centre. The MHRD missive sent to the chief secretary, Amit Kiran Deb, does not have any reference to the chief minster’s letter to the Prime Minister urging him to upgrade Besu. It has not gone down well with the state government.
Roychoudhuri has in a letter to the MHRD on April 24, pointed out that he wanted to discuss the Besu handover. The state government has raised two points. The first is on the admission of students through WBJEE in the state quota. “Earlier, the state had said that it would like to reserve 75 per cent of the seats reserved for the students from Bengal. But now it seems that the state is ready to soften its stand and might not bargain for a very big chunk of seats,” said Professor Partha Pratim Chatterjee, general secretary of BESUTA after the meeting.
The state government however would want some sort of participation in the governance of Besu, even if its handed over to the Centre. The state might want to nominate candidates on the universities governing board.
The teachers, however wants the INI status for BESU on its 150th year. “We are not concerned about the issue of governance or admission. We want the government to take a positive decision so that BESU can become an INI as early as possible,” said Chatterjee.
If the university is not handed over to the Centre, BESU will not be upgraded into INI and would receive a one-time grant of Rs. 519 crore for its academic and infrastructure upgradation from the state government.
Students Scuffle
Two students were injured in a clash between undergraduate and postgraduate students of Besu at around 2.30 am on Monday. The scuffle following the entrance of some guests without passes at the annual reunion programme of the varsity. Arnab Dutta, a fourth year student of civil engineering was admitted to the SSKM, while Md Tafiqulla, a third year student of computer engineering was admitted to the Howrah General Hospital. The police lathicharged to break up the clash. Three more were injured in the police laticharge.
(mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com)
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