NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired 13th Meeting of the Council of National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER), at Bharat Mandapam.
The meeting was preceded by the 3rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs).
Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed presentations on elevating academic and research standards, enhancing governance efficiency and further boosting innovation and entrepreneurship at our NITs and IIESTs. Also, discussed the way forward.
“Our curriculum must be aligned to national priorities. Our PhD programmes must be industry-centric,” he said and suggested to create an industry-led curriculum committee for developing curriculum based on new and emerging job roles and 21st century requirements.
Chaired the 13th Meeting of Council of National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research.
Reviewed presentations on elevating academic and research standards, enhancing governance efficiency and further boosting innovation and entrepreneurship at our NITs and… pic.twitter.com/HcUYNA6Wxg
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 13, 2026
The Minister stated that the premier technological institutions must come under accreditation framework.
He said that NITs and IIESTs are poised to serve as vibrant hubs of applied education, research, innovation and future-ready workforce development. They will make crucial contributions towards driving national progress and realising the vision of Viksit Bharat, he added.
Key issued were discussed during the meeting.
Reforms
- Align curricula, assessment, academic programmes and research with critical and emerging technologies such as Industry 4.0, green hydrogen, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity, quantum technologies and semiconductors driving India’s progress towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat by 2047 through excellence in science, technology and innovation.
- Specialized PG/M.Tech. Programmes aligned with specific industry requirements.
360 degree PhD reforms
- Industry-led and Industry-funded PhD
- product-based PhD
- PhD assignment to faculty based on faculty performance
Innovation
- The Council underscored the importance of building robust innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems to enable a transition from job seekers to job creators.
- 13 NITs that do not presently have an incubation centre should immediately set it up.
- At least 10 NITs should immediately initiate the establishment of a Research Park.
- Organise a pitching Conclave in July, 2026 for the start-ups incubated in NITs in collaboration with investors and industry stakeholders.
Agreed by all NITs and IISERs
- To complete External Peer review in 1 year.
- The importance of accreditation as a key quality assurance mechanism- institutions resolving to actively participate in the national accreditation framework (NAAC).
- Promoting inclusivity through the use of ‘Bharatiya Bhashas’ and adopting artificial intelligence for multilingual learning, committing to take all necessary steps to enable learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds to learn effectively.