Isn't setting up of 7 more new IITs not enough for the politicians? Now they want to spoil even the existing ones I guess.The IITs are one of the most premier institutes in the world and they've become that thanks to minimal government involvement.Once the govt gets involved everything is spoilt! If the IITs choose to branch out into these fields,let them but don't force it.Some IITs like IIT-Chennai are already offering courses in the arts stream so its not like they are not aware or don't want to improve. The government has anyway spoiled the quality of education in India,at least let us have the IITs!

Absolutely!!! IIT's have been around for a very long time and it should not be too difficult to expand into universities. Good call Mr. Sibal!!

It seems an excellent concept. That is to set up centers of academic excellence. Should all such centers be brought under one umbrella or should several centers for related disciplines and as also interdisciplinary studies be set up need to be explored.

Instead of polluting IIT with other streams, they shall open new central university in the line of IIT as well as medicine. The importance of having central universities are very relevant in India as it invites students from all corner of India.

This man is seems to be having great ideas. Its left to be seen whether he has the will to actually implement them.

Why would including medicine dilute the quality of education at IIT's. was it diluted when they took up courses like IT? I dont think the fulcrum of IIT's are so fragile that broadening its bandwidth would dilute its quality. If thats the case it does not deserve to be an IIT.

Yeah it will certainly dilute the standards of IITs. We have a lively example of IIT Madras which started offering BA cum MA integrated course from 2006. The intake being only 40-50 and not many good humanities school in India it was expected to have the brightest student among the humanities community.

But when you compare the lifestyle of the BTech people and these BA/MA people it’s a complete contrast. They may argue that there way of studying is totally different from the engineering people but still there performance for any course of there department is not better and in some case even poorer than engg people. About the statement we should take into fact that humanities course are not the core courses for engg people but they have to take it as an elective and often they don't get course of there choice.

So if they can't beat the engg guys in even humanities course so in what way are they raising the standard of IIT.

Another view can be that they are making iit multidimensional but even today we have many IIT alumni excel in non engg field.

I am not against having fields being included in IIT, but then there should means to check the standard of those getting admission by having a strict check on who gets admission, and making them feel that they are part of prestigious IIT and have to meet the standards set by alumnus even if that they are not in there field.