Anna University’s long wait for IoE tag may soon get over, says new VC

Anna University may soon get the coveted ‘Institution of Eminence’ (IoE) status, Anna University new Vice-Chancellor Prof R Velraj told Shiksha.com. 

TN keen on IoE status for Anna University

Speaking on the plans to re-approach for the IoE status, Prof R Velraj said: “The Tamil Nadu government is keen on getting the IoE status for Anna University. So, I think it is possible now. I will make efforts in this direction. Somehow, it was not materalised under the previous government. Now, the present government may agree on these terms. The state government is also very particular about the reservation policy alone. If the Central Government also agrees, then we can get this IoE status.”  

Anna University is one among the 10 public institutions to be shortlisted for the IoE status under which the public institutions will get up to Rs 1,000 crore in five years. The IoE tag allows private institutions freedom from regulators and greater autonomy, while providing funding to public institutions.  

Former Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had said Anna University had applied for IoE status in 2017, but the Tamil Nadu government withdrew its earlier proposal for grant of the status on 29 October 2020. He told the Parliament in response to a question on March 8: “Anna University had applied for grant of status of Institution of Eminence in the Public Category as per the UGC (Declaration of Government Educational Institutions as Institutions of Eminence) Guidelines, 2017 on 07.12.2017. However, the state government vide its letter dated 29.10.2020 had communicated its decision of withdrawing its earlier proposal submitted for grant of IoE status.” 

According to report, a letter was sent by the Centre to the Tamil Nadu government, asking it to grant Rs 1,750 crore to Anna University. Replying to this, a senior official in the Tamil Nadu Education Department had said the state government decided to take back the proposal due to the huge costs that the state would have to incur.  

Row over eminence tag

Former Anna University Vice-Chancellor MK Surappa was locked in a legal battle with the state since early 2020. His constant efforts to obtain an IoE status for the university triggered a huge political row. He surpassed the state government and wrote a letter to the Centre on the university’s financial readiness for IoE status, but to no avail. Anna University currently follows the state’s policy of allocating 69 per cent reservation system for admission to its courses, but as per the Ministry of Education, formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) notice, institutions conferred with the IoE tag shall follow 49.5 per cent reservation in admissions.

To this, the Centre had clarified to the state government that it could follow 69 per cent reservation even after getting eminence status. Senior officers of the state higher education department had said the decision might impact not only reservation in the university but it would also affect powers of the state government, as the Centre’s financial stake in the state-run university would go up with this recognition. While an inquiry committee was formed to look into the matter, Surappa had alleged that the state government was unhappy with him because he was working for the IoE tag.  

The government has so far selected 20 institutions as IoEs. The 10 central government-funded institutions in the list include IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur; Delhi University; Banaras Hindu University; University of Hyderabad; and Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Among private institutions are BITS Pilani, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and the Jio Institute, which has not started functioning yet. 

Read more:

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• Prof Velraj appointed Vice Chancellor of Anna University