The IIT labs which will soon be at par with the world's best

Soon, five laboratories each in seven IITs will be at par with the best in the world, thanks to project 'Vishwajeet' that aims at catapulting 7 IITs to the top league of global academic rankings.

During a recent meeting of the IIT Directors, it was decided that five laboratories each at IIT Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras, Delhi, Kanpur, Guwahati and Roorkee will get funding from government and industry, to make them at par with the world's best.

It was also discussed that the 1:10 teacher-student ratio is desirable from the current 1:15. The HRD ministry has instructed IITs to hire faculty, foreign talent too. In this regard, the HRD ministry had put forward a proposal to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Home Ministry recently to ensure the norms related to allowing foreign faculty are made easier.

At the meeting, IIT directors spoke on expansion of student strength to one lakh in IITs. They said the bulk of expansion will take place in post-graduate and Ph.D. Even foreign students will be taken. The reason to induct foreign students is because it is one of the criterion to make way into global university rankings.

In the meeting there was also a clear division on the issue of breaking into top 100 ranking done by foreign agencies. Many directors felt that IITs should rather concentrate on improving themselves and expand the number of courses being taught including humanities.