Anil Kakodkar part of panel to visit IIT Indore

NEW DELHI: Putting an end to speculation over his association with IITs, nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar has decided to join a panel visiting IIT Indore later this month to evaluate its progress and performance of its director.

Kakodkar, part a search-cum-selection committee to select the head of the IITs, would accompany the committee comprising experts like T D Dogra and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

He would also visit IIT Mandi for a similar exercise in May. Both the campuses would see selection of their directors soon.

"He has consented to visit both the campuses as part of the selection process and present the report to the HRD Ministry for continuation of the existing directors or selection of fresh candidate," a ministry official said.

Speculation was rife over his association with the IITs ever since he skipped a crucial meeting of the selection panel on March 22 to appoint three new IIT directors supposedly unhappy with the conduct of the selection process afresh.

Kakodkar had, in fact, resigned as chairman of IIT Bombay's board of governors few days before the fresh round of selecting the directors, only to take back his resignation soon.

Though HRD Minister Smriti Irani had exuded confidence that he would attend the meeting on March 22, Kakodkar skipped it, raising doubts over his association in the IITs.

He is a member of search-cum-selection committees of appointing IIT directors. His tenure as the chairman of IIT Bombay ends in mid-May.