IITs Exploring of setting up Engineering College in Kargil
September 21, 2021
A high-level team of IIT directors on Monday visited here to examine the feasibility of establishing an Engineering College in the district of Ladakh.
The team comprised of directors IIT-Delhi, Professor V. Ramgopal Rao, IIT-Bombay Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri and IIT-Kanpur Professor Abhay Karandikar. The team interacted with officials and students to explore the fellowship opportunities for students of the Union Territory in various IITs also, the spokesman said.
Addressing the meeting, Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao said Lieutenant Governor Ladakh RK Mathur during his recent visit to the IIT-Delhi discussed the possibility of setting up an Engineering College in Kargil.
Professor M. Balakrishnan of the Computer Science and Engineering Department of the IIT-Delhi spoke about the challenges being faced by the students in remote areas and stressed that students should go outside for studies to gain exposure and more opportunities.
While responding to the questions of the students, the IIT-Bombay Director Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri spoke about different branches of an engineering and career prospects therein. Prof. Karandikar spoke about the annual fellowship programme in IITs, incubation and innovation programme and internship with the IITs for the students of Ladakh.
Later, the team of directors also visited the Government Degree College, Kargil, where the Vice Principal apprised them about the overall functioning and different courses being imparted at the college. He said about 2,000 students are presently enrolled in the college while 30 permanent and 23 contractual teaching assistants are rendering their teaching services in the college.
Earlier, Kargil’s Chief Education Officer apprised the team of the enrolment of school students in the district. He said that 32,000 students are studying in various schools in the district, out of which 3,000 are pursuing their studies in the science stream. The CEO also said there are at present 22 governments and two private higher secondary schools functioning in the district.
They said an 'Expression of Interest' which will be finalised based on the outcome of the various meetings with the stakeholders, was expected to be signed between the Consortium of IITs and the Department of Higher Education, Ladakh in presence of the Lt Governor of Ladakh on September 22. The detailed action plan with timelines will be further drawn up based on the signed EoI, the officials said.
