Union Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday said TEN regional engineering colleges(ALLAHABAD,SURATHKAL,CALICUT,ROURKELA,NAGPUR,JAIPUR,KURUKSHETRA,SILCHAR,HAMIRPUR,BHOPAL would be upgraded to the level of National Institute of Technology and then to Indian Institute of Technology.
With this upgradation, the total number of seats for IIT graduates would increase from 2,500 to 10,000 in near future, Joshi told reporters here.
A national nutrition mission to eradicate the problem of malnutrition would soon be set up for expectant mothers, adolescent girls and poor children, he said.
Joshi said a National Children Commission would also be set up on child rights, adding it would have legal powers for which a legislation would be moved in Parliament.
The Centre has taken up a gigantic literacy drive for children between six and 14 and it planned to achieve full literacy by 2011, the minister said.
A proposal for a national open school for these children was under consideration and any student could appear in examinations at his will, he said.
Joshi said for this age group of children, the Centre was committed to providing free and compulsory education at any cost.
On the question of saffronisation of curriculum, he said it was more Bharat kendrit (India oriented) so that hidden facts of all disciplines, regions and states could be brought to light.
