Hinting at his vision of making Delhi into an ‘education hub’, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said the national capital has enough educational institutions and resources to make it to the list of top institutes in the world.
“Just opening new institutes won’t work. It is important that existing ones be upgraded and options for research be provided in them,” he told the Delhi Assembly, while introducing the bill on converting Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT) into a university.
Referring to the Delhi's potential to become the education hub he added: “Delhi has 19 Central universities, more than 20 colleges approved by AICTE and many approved autonomous private institutes. The plan to convert NSIT into a university was stuck for the last 20 years. Attending a function at the college once, seeing the energy there, made me pretty sure, that Delhi's institutes too can become world class”.
With passage of the Delhi Netaji Subhas University of Technology Bill, 2015, he claimed that more research opportunities will open up for engineering students.
“As things stand today, NSIT can accommodate 3,400 students. In next 3-4 years, it will accommodate around 5000. New courses not being offered anywhere in Delhi will be offered. Delhi students will be able to avail 85% seats,”said Sisodia.
For international exposure, 20 percent added seats will be for NRI and foreign students. The University will not just offer technical education, but also state of the art research facilities,” he added..
Manish Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s Education Minister, introduced the bill after the Delhi cabinet passed a proposal to upgrade Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) to the university level.
The engineering institute will be under Delhi University, a Centre-run body, to be upgraded, the first being Delhi Technological University (formerly Delhi College of Engineering).
The reasons for upgrading NSIT states that the academic institution will promote undergraduate and postgraduate education, training and research in engineering, technology, sciences, humanities and social sciences and management.
Meanwhile, DU teachers protested against the move to take away NSIT from DU.
“NSIT has flourished as an institution of excellence as an institution of University of Delhi and currently ranks amongst the topmost in the field of technology of our country.
In this scenario any move on the part of Delhi Govt. to wrench away NSIT from Delhi University of Delhi may result in deterioration of standards of education, research and knowledge dissemination,” said Dr Rajesh Jha, from Academics for Action and Development (AAD), a teachers group.
“The attempts to take over UCMS and present decision of Delhi Government to take over NSIT are attempts to disrobe the University from its engineering and medical studies. We urge upon the Delhi government to review its decision so that NSIT can be retained as an engineering college under University of Delhi,” he added.