On January 23, 2018, the University Grants Commission (UGC) announced that the deadline for the higher learning institutes seeking ‘ Institute of Eminence (IoE) ’ tag has been extended to February 22, 2018. The actual deadline was December 31, 2017. According to sources, Union HRD Minister , Mr. Prakash Javadekar urged UGC to extend the deadline. The HRD Minister was impressed with the response from institutes for IoE tag. The actual reasons for the extension of deadline are unknown. So far, 103 institutes applied for IoE tag.
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HRD Ministry’s panel will visit the institutes that applied for IoE tag. After thorough assessment and inspection, the panel will recommend the names of 20 institutes that are eligible for world-class/ IoE status. Finally, the HRD Ministry will finalise the list of 20 world class institutes. The entire process is expected to be completed by March/ April 2018.
Higher learning institutes with IoE status will have greater autonomy. These institutes are free to collaborate with foreign universities without UGC permission. The role of government in the functioning of these institutes will be limited. However, it is the responsibility of the institutes with IoE tag to attract international students and faculty. These institutes will have to feature in the list of top 10-500 global universities across the country.
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Institutes with greater autonomy are free to introduce new courses and frame syllabus. Reputed and top universities across the country like Jawaharlal Nehru University and the University of Delhi are competing for IoE tag.