Badal seeks Central University, IIM, IIT for Punjab

New Delhi, Dec 26 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought a special package from the Centre for setting up a Central University, an IIM, IIT and IIIT, to boost prospects of higher education in the state.

Mr Badal put forth these proposals during a meeting with Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh in his office here.

The HRD Minister assured Mr Badal that his Ministry would soon take a final decision for sanctioning an Indian Institute of Management (IIM), an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), besides a Central University, after taking the feasibility report into consideration.

Mr Singh also agreed to send a high level team to visit probable sites at Bathinda, Rupnagar and Sultanpur Lodhi before taking a final decision for setting up the University.

The Chief Minster also urged Mr Singh to set up at least three model schools in each educationally backward block instead of one as agreed by the Ministry earlier, official sources said.

Mr Badal demanded an increase in the Central share in the capital investment from the present 33 per cent to at least 50 per cent in the colleges to be set up in the educationally backward districts under the special scheme of the Ministry.

The HRD Minister assured him that his Ministry was committed to ensuring balanced growth of education in all states and Punjab was no exception, rather it would be accorded the highest priority while alloting educational institutes of excellence.

UNI