IISERs demand statutory status

                Directors of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) today demanded enactment of a legislation in Parliament to make these statutory bodies, thereby recognising their degrees.

             During their first meeting with Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, the directors of the five IISERs said the future of students in their institutes would be affected if these are not made statutory bodies, sources said.

                  The government has set up five IISERs during the past three years. These institutes are offering five-year Masters in Science courses.

                 However, they cannot award degrees unless they are made statutory bodies. They have been demanding that the Human Resource Development Ministry should bring an IISER Bill to make them statutory bodies. For the time being, the ministry may bring an amendment to the National Institute Act to include the IISERs under it, they said.