AICTE extends MOU with IIT Guwahati for two years to provide financial support under GAINER scheme
New Delhi : All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under AICTE-GAINER scheme (Grant for Augmenting Infrastructure in North East Region) (earlier known as Special Scheme for NER) is providing financial support to the North-Eastern technical institutions to help improve the water and energy problems. To implement this scheme, AICTE and IIT Guwahati had signed MoU last year for a period of one year. IIT Guwahati is a premier institute of the country with a global research ranking of 41 and an overall ranking of 395 in the world.
The existing MoU has been extended for another two years with the addition of digital connectivity infrastructure along with solar power and water supply with wider coverage of needy institutions and mentoring for MODROBS and RPS schemes. Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Director IIT Guwahati and Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman AICTE signed the MoU on 27th of August 2021. The signing ceremony was held in the Board room of IIT Guwahati and was witnessed by Prof. A. S. Achalkumar, Dean Outreach Education Programme, Prof. SharadGokhale, Head of Civil Engineering Department and Prof. Gopal Das, Head of Chemistry Department of IIT Guwahati.
The new MoU also includes IIT Guwahati support for facilitating necessary training on technical proposal writing under MODROBS, RPS, and internet schemes of AICTE for North-Eastern technical institutions.
The Phase-I of the project under the existing MoU was successfully implemented to empowering the institutes of North-East in writing project proposals, procurement process through mentoring. This will be continued till the successful installation and utilisation of the facilities in the next Phase. The Phase-II of the project will also include facilitating infrastructure for internet connectivity, along with solar power and water supply with wider coverage of needy institutions and mentoring for MODROBS and RPS schemes.
Prof. T. G. Sitharam said, both AICTE and IIT Guwahati have interest in promoting research, development and quality improvement in the North-East region (NER) of the country. IIT Guwahati holds a large reservoir of expertise and technologies. A coordinated effort between IIT Guwahati and AICTE will enhance the functional efficiency of the technical institutes located in the far-flung areas of NER, which will improve the quality of education and capacity building at grass-root level and change the lives of common people of NER. Thanks to AICTE for coming forward to improving logistics support to the institutes in NER under the special scheme for NER. AICTE is extending financial assistance to AICTE approved institutes in NER to solve water problems in general, providing alternate power support, and, now in Phase-II the Internet connection. This will go in a long way to enhance the functional efficiency of the technical institutes located in the far-flung areas of NER.
Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabuddhe said that the objectives of this MoU is also to mentor AICTE approved technical institutions under the mentorship of IIT Guwahati to develop projects for funding in critical areas like solar energy, water problem and internet connectivity. This MoU will enable a sustained institutional framework for collaboration between AICTE and IIT Guwahati.
