Education Minister discuss COVID-19 management, research initiatives with directors of NITs, IITs and others

While discussing the status of COVID-19 on campuses, the minister said positive thinking and positive reactions to the current situation could avoid unnecessary anxiety among the students and teaching community.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ chaired a meeting with directors of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

During the meeting, management of the current COVID-19 situation and research initiatives taken by the institute were discussed, an official statement said.
Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre and Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare joined Mr. Pokhriyal in the virtual meeting. Mr. Pokhriyal reviewed the status of imparting online education, virtual laboratory courses by the institutes.

While discussing the status of COVID-19 on campuses, the minister said positive thinking and positive reactions to the current situation could avoid unnecessary anxiety among the students and teaching community.

Mr. Dhotre appreciated the institutions for continuing academic sessions during the covid period and urged them to focus on science and technology and work on new innovations to tackle COVID-19.
The meeting also discussed research works undertaken by these institutions of national importance in tackling the COVID situation. The Union Education Minister commended the institutes for developing low-cost RT-PCR machines, kits, ventilators, and for mathematical modelling of predicting the trend of COVID-19.

With regard to National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it is noted that many of the institutions have already started new departments and multi-disciplinary programs.

IISc Bangalore and IIT Kharagpur will soon start courses in Medical Sciences, the meeting was informed.

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