New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday granted ex-post facto approval to the amendment to The Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 to give IIT status to six colleges, an official said.
The changes have been brought in for incorporation of six new IITs at Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Dharwar (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Goa and Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) into the existing lot, a Ministry of Human Resource Development statement here said.
Indian School of Mines (ISM) Dhanbad too will be upgraded to an IIT after the amendment to the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.
�The approval will bring six new Indian Institutes of Technology within the ambit of The Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 and declaring them as the institutions of national importance,� the HRD statement said.
The six new IITs will be located at Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Dharwar (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Goa and Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir).
The Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval for establishment of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Andhra Pradesh, which has been registered as a Society under the Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001. The approval will give a legal entity to NIT Andhra Pradesh. This institute is being funded by the Centre.
The Cabinet has also approved introduction of a Bill namely the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 for inclusion of the NIT Andhra Pradesh in its First Schedule.
The proposed amendments to the Bill will ensure a high level of public accountability and increased participation of the stakeholders in the administration and academic activities of the institute.
In other decisions, the Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and Japan for promoting sustainable, stable and low-carbon thermal power development in India.
The Cabinet also granted ex-post facto approval to the cadre review of the Indian Postal Service. The cadre review will enable the Department of Posts to meet the functional requirements and strengthening the cadre structure both in the headquarters and in the field on the basis of functional requirement.
It will lead to the creation of new posts at DG, ADG, SAG, JAG and JTS levels by decreasing Senior Time Scale posts.