Lok Sabha passes NIT Bill, Javadekar pledges quality education for all

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 with the new HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar asserting that the NDA government is committed to ensure “quality education” for all. [caption id=“attachment_2907484” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar. PTI[/caption] “The Narendra Modi government is committed to ensure Sabko Shiksha aur Acchi Shiksha (Education for all and Quality Education),” Javadekar said in Lok Sabha after members from various parties participated in the discussions on the bill. He said the BJP government is committed to ensure quality education especially at higher levels like the NITs where the role of faculty and teaching community should be understood. “Teachers can make a difference to story of India. There will be in-service training and pre-service training. All vacant slots will be fulfilled,” he said. Javadekar said the government is trying to ensure safe guard of teaching community’s “dignity” withA"compassion" and also added that the teachers will be given “freedom”. And along with these there will be emphasis on accountability. Stressing on the role of research, he said several schemes are being evolved to promote research especially among technological institutes. A separate funding of Rs 1,000 crore will be made for this, he said adding under this, “customized research” of industries will be encouraged wherein academicians from NITs and IITs and other such technological institutes will be involved. “We will encourage more incubation centres and under which even after graduation NIT and IIT pass outs and graduates can also be allowed to visit their institutes and take part in research,” Javadekar said. The bill, later passed by voice vote, seeks to establish the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Andhra Pradesh as an institute of national importance under the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER) Act, 2007. Among others Congress member Shashi Tharoor, (Congress), Kambhampati Haribabu (BJP) and RSP member NK Premachandran also spoke.