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The
deaf ear central government is turning on the
issue of establishment of Indian Institute for
Science Education and Research (IISER) for Bihar
which shows that we need to fight for long to
bring the same. The central government is trying
to console Bihar, for chronic ignorance, by
providing an IIT in the state and seems not
ready to fulfill our demand for opening an IISER
in the state. A few months before Sri Ram Kirpal
Yadav, hon'ble MP from Bihar, raised the issue
in the Lok Sabha stressing need of opening an
IISER in Bihar, (details
of which can be seen here).
However, reply from the central government is
not in the favour of Bihar. The copy of the
reply I got from MP's office is as under:
"Reply from Hon’ble Minister of State for HRD,
Smt. D. Purandeswari vide their DO. No.
H.11016-33/2006-TS.I dated 4.1.2007;DO. No.
H.11016-33/2006-TS.I dated 4.1.2007
Dear Yadav ji,
This is in reference to the matter raised by you
under Rule 377 during the Lok Sabha Debate on
27th November 2006 regarding need for setting up
of an Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research in Bihar.
I may inform you that at present there is no
proposal under consideration of the Government
to set up an Indian Institute of Science
Education and Research (IISER) in Bihar.
However, this Ministry is considering to set up
three new IITs in the country for which in
principle approval of Planning Commission has
been obtained. One of these new IITs is proposed
to be set up in Bihar. A letter has been written
to the Chief Minister of the State to provide
suitably located land, free of cost, for the
purpose. This Ministry is also considering to
set up new IIITs in the country and the State of
Bihar will be given due consideration while
finalizing the location of these new institutes.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
D. Purandeswari
It seems that central government is not in a
mood to give an IISER to Bihar. However, Hon'ble
President takes the matter differently and has
repeatedly recommended establishment of an IISER
in Bihar. It will be not out of place to
reiterate that Hon'ble President first
emphasized the issue while he was addressing
joint session of legislatures of Bihar in March
2006 and again recently while addressing global
meet at Patna which can be observed in the
transcript of his speech as under
"Education and entrepreneurship: 75% literacy by
2010 and 100% by 2015. Integrated education and
entrepreneurship from the secondary to higher
education segment. Bihar should also aim at IIT
and Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research. Higher education should lead to
employment generators for the state instead of
employment seekers." (link)
The reply from central government reflects that
the present union government wishes to minimize
the regional imbalances by establishing an IIT
in the state but fails to feel why Bihar is back
and why its higher education system is on the
downhill journey. I do not perceive why the
central government is ignoring recommendations
of Hon'ble President to pave poor conditions of
our higher education system. The message central
government is giving is that an IIT has already
been given in the name of central educational
institute and there is no chance of giving
another institute in the name of science
education and research. The most amazing fact is
that central government is not taking the matter
of growth of Bihar at the first hand and
political system from state is also not too much
active on the issue. We should learn from
neighboring state Orissa, how political system
of there arose, merging their political
differences, on the issue of NISc and
successfully got an NISER.
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Comments: |
Let us not crib about not having IIT,
IIM or IISER in Bihar. Let us
develop world class institution
without seeking help from center.
Nalanda International University is
a glaring example of the will to
develop international world class
university without getting help from
the center. - Ratan Jha - Feb. 9,
2007
Yes Dr. Prasad, that seems to be the
case for now. However, seven people
who can make a difference in this
matter and enjoy the necessary clout
to do so at centre are:
Mr Laloo Yadav, Mr, R P Singh, Mr.
Ram Vilas Paswan, Mr. MAA Fatmi (MOS
of HRD), Mr. SC Jha (Chairman of
PM’s Task force on Bihar & Member
Economic Advisory Council), Mr,
Anawarul Hoda (Member Planning
Commission) and Mr Ashok Jha (Union
Finance Secretary) (first three are
member of union cabinet as well as
cabinet committee on economic
affair).
This apart, union cabinet has also
approved in principal a plan for
starting four NID’s in their meeting
on 8th Feb, 2007.
11th plan has more such institutions
on anvil, viz, National Science and
Technology Commission, National
Science Foundation, 10 Central
Universities of Excellence, 20
IIIT’s, 3-5 IIM’s, 4 SPA, and so on.
Already, one “National Institute of
Food Technology & Entrepreneurship”
has been approved for being set up
in Haryana. If somebody can get the
merits of having these centers in
the state through the head of the
gentlemen mentioned above, state can
benefit a lot . State should try to
get all of this to change the skewed
position loaded against it. - D N
Mishra - Feb. 10, 2007
Even a child doesn't get milk feed
from mother without demanding, so we
have to fight tooth and nail for our
due and just right like this center
of research. Bihar has been long
ignored since independence, this is
the high time for us and our
political leaders from Bihar to take
a united and strong stand. We should
and will develop on our own the
highest center of learning like
Nalanda International University but
at the same time our rightful due
from central government should be
given to us. - Anand Lakhmani -
Feb. 10, 2007
Laudable as the Nalanda Central
University initiative is, is there
any reason to let the Centre get
away with its apathetic policies?
Let us not forget, Bihar is poor, or
"BIMARU" as some unfeeling chaps
have called it. With its limited
resources, there is only so much
that can be done. There is
absolutely no reason to let the
centre get away cheaply. As Lord
Meghnad Desai exhorted us during the
Global meet at Patna, let us make
them accountable. - Thakur Vikas
Sinha, Powai, Mumbai - Feb. 10, 2007 |
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