Innovation university for sustainable city development

Note: Earlier we have raised this issue on rural migration while giving our petition to Prime Minister and MHRD to estabalish such University in Kalahandi. Hope Kalahandi's voice is also heard for a University.

Innovation university for sustainable city development
The Hindu, Dec 16, 2009
With a large number of rural people migrating to urban areas, the government is planning to set up an innovation university dedicated to study and research in sustainable city development, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said today.


This university will work on all issues, including city planning, water management, urban transport, housing and energy, he said at ‘The Singapore Symposium’ here.

“The government will set up 14 innovation universities. One of them could be on the area of city development which will work on technology solutions for urban planning,” he said.

Mr. Sibal said that urban areas in the country are yet to be developed. They suffer from myriad problems starting from power crisis to drainage and water management. The government is looking for partnerships with various agencies for starting such innovative universities.

“Why cannot we have a partnership with Singapore to move forward?” he asked.

The government is in the process of setting up 14 innovation universities aiming at world class standards. Some of these universities would be set up in partnership with foreign institutions.

Mr. Sibal said the low enrolment in higher education was another major challenge before the government.

The gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education is 12 per cent at present. The government wants to raise the GER level to 30 per cent by 2020, he said.

To a question, Mr. Sibal said that there was no vision on education till 2004. Even though, there was a vision on education in 2004, it was not implemented. The process of implementation of the vision has of late started with the process of expansion of education sector, he said.

Keywords: Innovation university, sustainable city development, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, city planning, water management, urban transport, housing, 'The Singapore Symposium’