Imphal, June 23: Along with submitting a proposal to the Centre for setting up an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Manipur to ensure that the State does not lag behind others in the field of information technology, the State Government has started taking up steps for converting DM College to an autonomous institution.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, an official source said that the State Government has proposed to the Centre to set up an IIIT in Manipur to stop the trend of many students going outside the State every year in pursuit of studying IT related courses as well as to ensure that the State does not lag behind in IT development.

For the proposed IIIT which is to be at the National level, the State Government proposed that it be set up under the Public-Private Partnership mode, the official said, adding that since the private investors would be hesitant in coming to invest here in view of the prevailing law and order situation, pressure would be exerted on the Centre for providing the required fund during the conference of the Education Ministers slated to be held at New Delhi on July 2 and 3 .

Matters related to establishment of two modern polytechnics, one each at Senapati and Bishnupur district and a women's polytechnic at Imphal would also be introduced from the side of the State Government during the said conference, the official informed.

The official further disclosed that instead of the announcement made by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to upgrade the Manipur Institute of Technology (MIT) as the National Institute of Technology (NIT) during his last visit to the State, the State Government has also proposed keeping MIT as a constituent college of Manipur University and set up an NIT separately.

Mentioning that a sum of Rs 15 crores has been sanctioned for putting up fencing and land development over 300 acres of land that the State Government had already acquired for the proposed NIT at Meitei Langol, the official conveyed that an intimation has been sent to depute an official team to Manipur so that the acquired land for the proposed NIT could be handed over to the Centre.

Stating that the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has already given its approval to the proposed NIT and only the approval of the Prime Minister's Office is being awaited to go ahead with the construction work, the official informed that a target is being kept to start the session from next academic year.

Meanwhile, according to another source, the report of the Academic Reforms Committee headed by former Vice Chancellor of Manipur University Prof IS Khaidem has been submitted to the Government.

Among others, the Committee recommended that out of the existing 28 Government colleges, those which would not be able to survive should be converted as specialised institutions of physical education only.

The Committee has also recommended clubbing together all the DM Colleges and making it an autonomous body with financial aid and resources from the Government.

Accordingly, the State Government has started necessary process, the source said, while expressing that this would ensure greater autonomy in the functioning of the college.

The State Government has also started taking up necessary steps with regard to the recommendations of the Committee for introducing semester system in the colleges as well as for providing educational loan to the needy students through financial institutions.

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