The Council of National Institutes of Technology, commonly known as the NIT Council, is the supreme governing body of India's National Institutes of Technology (NIT). Like the IIT Council, after which it is modeled, the NIT Council consists of chairmen, directors of all NITs along with the government nominees from various sectors with the Minister of HRD as the Chairman of the Council. The NIT Council is the highest decision making body in the NIT fraternity and is answerable only to the Government of India. The NIT Council is expected to meet regularly and take steps conducive for maximum growth of the NITs as whole in the near future.
The NIT Council is created under the NIT Act 2007 and its present composition stands as follows:
the Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department of the Central Government having administrative control of the technical education, ex officio-Chairman
the Secretary to the Government of India in charge of the Ministry or Department of the Central Government having administrative control of the technical education, ex officio- Vice-Chairman
the Chairperson of every Board, ex officio
the Director of every Institute, ex officio
the Chairman, University Grants Commission, ex officio
the Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, ex officio
four Secretaries to the Government of India, to represent the Ministries or Departments of the Central Government dealing with biotechnology, atomic energy, information technology and space, ex officio
the Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education, ex officio
not less than three, but not more than five persons to be nominated by the Visitor, at least one of whom shall be a woman, having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of education, industry, science or technology
three members of Parliament, of whom two shall be chosen by the House of the People and one by the Council of States (Provided that the office of member of the Council shall not disqualify its holder for being chosen as or for being, a member of either House of Parliament)
two Secretaries to the State Government, from amongst the Ministries or Departments of that Government dealing with technical education where the Institutes are located, ex officio
Financial Advisor, dealing with the Human Resource Development Ministry or Department of the Central Government, ex officio
one officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry or Department of Central Government having administrative control of the Technical Education, ex officio-Member-Secretary
The duration of office of a member is three years from the date of notification provided that the term of office of an ex officio member shall continue so long as he holds office by virtue of which he is such a member and shall expire as soon as he ceases to be Member of the House, which elected him. The term of a member nominated or elected to fill a causal vacancy shall continue for the remainder of the term of the member in whose place he has been appointed and an outgoing member shall, unless the Central Government otherwise directs, continue in office until another person is appointed as a member in his place.
It shall be the general duty of the Council to co-ordinate the activities of all the NITs without prejudice.The Council shall perform the following functions, namely:—
to advise on matters relating to the duration of the courses, the degrees and other academic distinctions to be conferred by the individual NITs, admission standards and other academic matters
to lay down policy regarding cadres, methods of recruitment and conditions of service of employees, institution of scholarships and freeships, levying of fees and other matters of common interest
to examine the development plans of each NIT and to approve such of them as are considered necessary and also to indicate broadly the financial implications of such approved plans
to advise the Visitor, if so required, in respect of any function to be performed by him under the NIT Act
to perform such other functions as are assigned to it by or under the NIT Act.
