The Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), one of the oldest IITs in the country, has sanctioned the setting up of at least four new centres of excellence. One of these, the School of Entrepreneurship, will work exclusively to encourage entrepreneurship. However, the institute is also working to ensure that academic standards are maintained. In an interview, Deputy Director Madhusudan Chakraborty, likely to take charge as IIT-Orissa director, tells Pradipta Mukherjee that the institute plans to tie-up with foreign institutes to increase the number of PhDs graduating from the institute. Edited excerpts:
What is IIT-KGP doing to meet the other backward classes (OBC) student quota?
We are going to double our student intake to 14,000 by 2012. We are building the required infrastructure. We will add 100 classrooms. Nearly, 200 tutorial centres would also be constructed. Two new hostels will also be constructed.
The Human Resources Development Ministry has also announced reservations in faculty positions? Are you equipped to meet the quota?
We are going ahead with the implementation of faculty quota. Part of our capacity expansion will also go towards building more than 150 flats for faculty. Contrary to popular belief, we do not think a quota in faculty appointments will hamper quality at IIT-KGP. We plan to double the number of professors to around 1,000. This will help maintain our student-teacher ratio of 1:9.
What are institute’s sources of income and expenditure?
We needed around Rs 220 crore last year, including our planned and non-planned expenses. Our biggest sources of income are grants, sponsored research es and student fee. Our biggest source of expenditure is staff salaries, maintenance of facilities and infrastructure.
How is the institute encouraging entepreneurship?
We will soon start a School of Entrepreneurship with an investment of Rs 8 crore. Initially, about 50 students would be admitted for the five-year course. The course will target students from financially secure backgrounds not looking for jobs. It is meant for potential employment generators who could accelerate the process of development and not for those seeking employment.
We have an incubation fund (meant to encourage start-ups) of Rs 50 lakh a year. This can be used to incubate (provide seed funding) for up to five start-ups. This should help entrepreneurs.
We have also introduced deferred placements. Students who plan to start their own ventures will be allowed to take a minimum of one-year placement holiday. He/she will also have an option to avail of the placement facility within the next two years of the placement holiday, provided a set of conditions are observed. A maximum of 10 students are likely allowed to register under the deferred placement policy.
What is the institute doing to encourage more research scholars?
We are planning to introduce joint PhD programmes for students and faculty. Under the programme, a PhD graduate would hold joint degrees from IIT-Kharagpur and a foreign institute. A PhD student will have two guides, one from IIT-KGP and the second from the foreign institute. We plan to induct some of our scholars into faculty positions. Last year, we had around 167 PhDs, while this year there should be more than 200. Because of the slowdown, many students intend to go in for higher education and PhDs, if placements are not satisfactory. So this, we feel, is a good time for research.
Any plans for expansion?
A School of Infrastructure Design and Management, a Steel Technology Centre, a Centre of Excellence in Telecommunication and a School of entrepreneurship are the four new centres of excellence under consideration. Around Rs 46 crore will be invested in these. The centres are a part of the Rs 400-crore expansion announced earlier. We are also looking at setting up a Department of Energy Engineering and a Department of Bio-sciences.
What has been the response to sponsored-research projects?
IIT Kharagpur handles close to 200 new sponsored-research projects each year. The cumulative value of these projects is around Rs 126 crore. Around 70 per cent of the projects are government-funded and the rest are funded by companies. Currently, our largest project is setting up an energy park in Kharagpur over the next four years. The Damodar Valley Corporation is investing Rs 100 crore in the project. The project is part of the institute’s initiative to set up Research and Development (R&D) parks for IT, biotechnology and energy sectors.
What about placements?
Frankly, students may not get as many offers as they used to. But, that does not mean students will not get jobs. All our students are getting job offers.
