Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051204781500.htm

Back

National

Montek calls for more IIT like institutions

Special Correspondent

"Country has to sustain the supply of high quality skilled manpower"

Measures to tackle high drop out rates in primary schools called for

Legislation soon on sharing with scientists the profits accruing out of intellectual property

Montek Singh Ahluwalia

NEW DELHI: Emphasising the need for more skilled workforce in the context of global scenario of changing economics and technological upgradation, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia called upon the Government to set up at least 15 more IIT like institutions.

Speaking at a function to mark the National Technology Day on Thursday, he said the country had to sustain the supply of high quality skilled manpower and in this regard the Government needs to create more IIT like institutions. "May be we need at least three times more IITs than what we have now."

Not enough

He emphasised that there was a need to set up new institutions, instead of merely taking steps to upgrade already existing ones. "Simply upgrading the existing ones won't do," he said.

He also called for measures to tackle the high drop out rates in primary schools.

Noting that presently, nearly 50 per cent of children drop out of school and only eight per cent move on to higher and technical education, he said, "for India to be a global leader, the percentage [of those who go on to higher and technical education] has to go up from eight per cent to 20 per cent."