The Hindu : Cabinet nod for takeover of RECs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 20, 2003

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Cabinet nod for takeover of RECs

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI FEB. 19. The Union Cabinet today approved the takeover of all 17 Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) in the country as fully-funded institutes of the Central Government. Though the scheme to upgrade the RECs into National Institutes of Technology (NITs) along the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has been effective since last year, today's decision changes their pattern of funding.

Prior to this, 70 per cent of the bill for running the NITs was borne by the Centre. However, with most States facing a resource crunch, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry decided to turn the NITs into fully Centrally-funded institutions to "safeguard" this scheme from getting derailed due to paucity of funds.

This will involve an additional liability of nearly Rs. 70 crores annually under non-Plan head with an annual increase of 10 per cent for five years beginning this fiscal.

Before the Union Cabinet gave the nod for the takeover, 14 of the 17 RECs had already become NITs with "deemed to be university" status. Only the RECs in West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu had not switched to the new scheme aimed at increasing the standard of engineering education in the country.

Though the NITs have been brought under the Centre, the existing admission quota wherein 50 per cent of seats are reserved for students hailing from the State where a particular REC is located will continue. And, like the Joint Entrance Examinations for admission to the IITs, an All-India Engineering Entrance Examination will be conducted for admission to the NITs.

Funding of satellites

The indigenous capability in terms of transponders for television, telecommunication, meteorological services and other such activities is all set to get a major boost with the Cabinet giving its nod for the funding of INSAT-4A and INSAT-4B satellites.

The two high-power satellites, which are estimated to cost Rs. 1,354 crores including the cost of launch services and insurance, would each have 12 C-band and 12 Ku-band transponders. The INSAT-4A is expected to be ready for launch in about two years and the INSAT -4B a year later.

The Cabinet also decided to reintroduce the Bill to ban advertisement of cigarette and other tobacco products and to regulate their tradeafter introducing certain amendments as suggested by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.

Electricity Bill

Likewise, it decided to reintroduce the Electricity Bill, which seeks to create a new liberal framework for a smooth and accelerated development of the power sector after incorporating the various changes suggested by a Parliamentary panel.

Announcing the Cabinet decisions, Union Minister and Cabinet spokesperson, Sushma Swaraj, however, declined to give details about what changes to be incorporated in either Bill on the ground that since Parliament was in session, propriety demanded that MPs were informed first before they were made public.

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