The presence of Jio Institute, which is expected to come up at Karjat near Mumbai, in the list has created a buzz among academia with people raising questions on its existence on social networking sites.
The Union Human Resource Development ministry declared six educational institutions – three public and as many private – as "Institutions of Eminence" on Monday. Reliance Foundation's Jio institute, which has not even started functioning yet, also made it to the list leaving behind the likes of Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
With an IoE status, the Indian Institutes of Technology Delhi and Bombay, the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani), the Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Jio Institute will enjoy special incentives from the government, said HRD minister Prakash Javadekar.
The recognition will grant complete academic and administrative autonomy to these institutes, enabling them to start new courses, hire foreign faculty and collaborate with foreign institutes without government's approval.
While the government will provide a grant of Rs 1,000 crore to the three public institutions in the next five years, the private institutes will not be eligible for government funding.
Javadekar said that the status will help them do whatever is needed to become "world-class institutions". "The Institutes of Eminence are important for the country. We have 800 universities, but not a single university in top 100 or even 200 in the world ranking. Today's decision will help achieve this."
The presence of Jio Institute, which is expected to come up at Karjat near Mumbai, in the list has created a buzz among academia with people raising questions on its existence on social networking sites. "Jio Institute has no record of academic or socially relevant accomplishments; one would be hard put to establish details about its faculty, campus infrastructure and courses. The inclusion of clauses which allow paper proposals to qualify as an Eminent Institution is an academic corruption of highest order," said Rajib Ray, president of the Delhi University Teachers Association.
However, according to the HRD ministry, the institution has been selected under 'Greenfield Category'. Officials said that 40 private institutions – 11 greenfield and 29 brownfield (existing) – had applied for the status. "Of those private institutions, one has been selected in the greenfield category and two in the brownfield category," an official said.
Explaining the reason for Jio making it to the list, whereas, DU, JNU and other IITs being missed out, the ministry said that the selection has been done under a "totally different category" and should not be compared with others.
"It's a totally different category. Their proposal has the potential to make it to world rankings. Hence, it has been selected," the official said. Beside Reliance group, other corporates including Airtel and Vedanta had also applied for the tag for their institutions.
The announcement comes two years after the Centre had announced to declare 10 public and 10 private IoEs so that they can make a place among top global rankings. The HRD ministry had then constituted a panel headed by former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami to select the institutes.
However, only six institutes, which according to the panel showed potential to make it to top 500 global rankings, earned the IoE status. These institutes will have to make a place within the top 500 of any of the world-renowned ranking frameworks in next five years, else ministry can de-list them.
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