Smart cities challenge contest for location of premier institutes

NEW DELHI: After The India Smart Cities Challenge, the Centre is working on another countrywide Challenge Contest. This one will be about finding the best of locations to set up a new national level educational institute in. The Cabinet Secretariat is learnt to be working on the plan with the first rounds of meetings having begun,

The States and Centre have often been on different pages on the issue of where to locate institutes like IITs, IIMs or Central Universities. A Challenge contest is expected to help find a viable resolution with states pitching the best of locations and the most suitable locations vis a vis specific parameters finally being selected.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has often had trouble over locating premier institutes. In the past, the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar had insisted on the new Central University in Bihar being located at no place other than Motihari. The ministry was quite averse to the idea owing to access issues and concerns that such a far flung campus would not attract good enough faculty or students. Finally a middle ground was found by way of a main campus at Gaya and another at Motihari.

There were constant tussles also with other states on locating new Central Universities in Koraput in Orissa and in Kasargod in Kerala- both considered less well connected than many other locations in the states. More recently, the HRD ministry tried to get the new IIT situated at New Raipur in Chhattisgarh citing better location and connectivity but had to finally give in to the state government and agree for a campus in Bhilai instead.

The India Smart Cities Challenge is a competition designed to inspire and support municipal officials as they develop smart proposals to improve residents' lives. In 2015, cities competed in the first round – with the best proposals receiving funding from the Ministry of Urban Development. A similar contest is planned to pick locations for premier institutes.'