The Budget grant of Rs 200 crore will help the premier technology institute achieve its long standing ambition of opening a medical college
When Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced a grant of Rs 200 crore to the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) in his Budgetary speech, he facilitated more than just infrastructure upgrade at the institute.
The grant will help IIT-Kgp kick off its long standing ambition of opening a medical college, albeit in a staggered manner.
Though the institute says the fund allocation of Rs 200 crore is a fraction of the Rs 500 crore that it had asked for, it does admit that the same would help it venture into the field of medical and life sciences research.
“The fund allocated by the Finance Minister will be used for research on nano and life sciences, along with initiatives on water resource management,” said AK Majumdar, deputy director, IIT-Kgp.
The IIT administration is set to re-submit a proposal allowing the passage of the parliamentary statute. IIT-Kgp would need an investment in excess of Rs 500 crore for the proposed medical school. In 2009, the institute had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of California, San Diego, as a partner for its 350 to 800-bed medical college.
“While we have started ground work on the medical school, the Budget grant will not see direct support for the school as parliamentary amendment to the statute allowing a medical course at IIT is still pending. We submitted a proposal of Rs 500 crore grant for research, of which Rs 200 crore has been allocated,” Majumdar explained.
Majumdar added that the speed with which ground work has started, is to facilitate the parliamentary amendment. Without evidence of initial preparations, the amendment will not see light of the day. IIT-Kgp, established in 1951, has more than 9000 students at present.
IITs are not allowed to provide medical education without an amendment to the constitutional role they have so far been prescribed to play.
“The medical school, if and when it starts, will focus on specialisation in one area. Initially we are looking at starting the school with around 150 students, which means that there will be a scope for about 800 beds,” he said.
For funding of the proposed medical school, IIT is eyeing further grants, contribution from alumni along with private investment.
The Indian Institutes of Technology last September, received a nod from the IIT Council to teach medicine. Barring IIT-Kgp, none of the IITs have plans to venture into full-time medical education. For IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur, medical education does not figure on the agenda for the next five years, at least. IITs had earlier told Business Standard that starting medical education is too far fetched and they would indeed be happy offering inter-disciplinary courses in medicine and engineering.
“Given the fact that IITs neither have the funds nor the expertise to expand in medical education, it makes sense we do what we have been doing. IIT-Kgp due to its remote location, needs a good medical facility. IIT Council’s move to allow IITs to teach medicine will benefit IIT-Kgp more than any other IIT,” an IIT director told Business Standard.
Other IITs say they would instead prefer delivering post graduate courses in some specific areas applying technology or train doctors in the use of biomedical engineering or applications.
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# Last September, IIT Council allowed IITs to teach medicine. # Barring IIT Kgp, no other IIT plans to begin a course in medicine # IIT Kgp submitted a proposal of '500-crore grant for research # IIT Kgp is eyeing further grants from alumnus along with private investment |
