IITs should be allowed to take decisions, says ex-AEC chairman Anil Kakodkar

Noted scientist and former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Anil Kakodkar on Friday said that IITs "should be left alone" to take their decisions.

Speaking over the controversy surrounding his resignation as chairman of the IIT-Bombay board of governors and the standing committee of the IIT Council, Kakodkar said,"My term was anyway over. I had just finished attending the last core meeting and wanted to move on. I had informed the ministry that I will not be available for the selection committee meeting on March 22."

"Selection of the director of such institutes should be more serious. You can't just talk to 36 people in one day and make a decision.

"I do not want to get into this now, it (MHRD) is the nodal ministry for this, but I personally feel that things should be done in a better way," he said at an event in Mumbai.

Earlier, top scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee CNR Rao had insisted on the need for an 'eminent' search committee for selecting IIT directors. Speaking at the technology fest at IIT Roorkee, the scientist had expressed concern over the way science and technology sector has been neglected by the government.