Institutes of National Importance

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Today, India has improved its sectors of agriculture, industry and sports. We have also developed rapidly in the field of education. We have some of the best higher education institutions known throughout the world. The higher education system in India includes both private and public universities. The central and state governments support public universities, while various bodies and societies support private universities. As per the University Grants Commission Act (1956), all universities in India have to be recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The various types of universities recognized by the University Grants Commission are- central universities, state universities, private universities and deemed universities.

Other than these four types of universities, some institutions can autonomously award degrees. These institutions are not official universities, but they are autonomous organizations or autonomous institutions of higher education. We have all heard or read about various colleges and universities in India. We see that some of the best institutes have the tag of an “Institute of National Importance” (INI). Here we will learn more about what an institute of national importance is and how institutes are classified as such.

What is an Institute of National Importance?

The government of India confers the status of being an “Institute of National Importance” on some of the best public higher education institutions in the country. These are the institutions that serve as pivotal players in developing highly skilled personnel within the region of their country or state. They work autonomously and are not under any state or central university. Only a few chosen institutes make it to this list. They receive backing from the government of India to develop centers of excellence in research, academics, and other schools of education

How are Institutes Classified as IINs?

In order for an institute to be declared as an “Institute of National Importance”, a special Act must be passed in the parliament that provides the institute with this status. There are also certain criteria that the institutes must meet. Once the institute fulfills these criteria, only then can they be taken into consideration to be made an Institute of National Importance. 

Benefits of being an Institute of National Importance

The tag of being an INI is one of great prestige. Not many institutes get this tag and hence it brings name and fame to the institute. The institutes of “Institute of National Importance” get many benefits. They receive more government funding than regular institutes and are also declared as autonomous institutions. This autonomy gives the institutes the freedom to operate their academic activities on their own without having to comply with the syllabus or schedule of other universities thereby allowing them to do what they feel is the best for their students.

There are also scholarships schemes provided by the government of India that only apply to theInstitutes of National Importance. Another benefit of being declared as an “Institute of National Importance” is that it becomes easier to obtain ‘Research and Development Grants (R & D Grants) if the proposal is from such an institution. The comparatively easy accessibility to grants and funding also helps these institutes in other ways. It gives these institutes the opportunity to develop and improve their infrastructure, provide its students with the best facilities, and start new departments in the institute to provide education on more subjects.

These institutes also have the best faculty that help nurture the students and provide them with the guidance that they need to become the best at what they do. The prestige of being an “Institute of National Importance” also attracts big companies that come to recruit students from these institutes. Thus, the students here get brilliant placement and internship opportunities. These institutes get to decide the cut-offs themselves. In this way they can make sure that only the best hardworking and talented of students get into the institutes. This provides a healthy and competitive environment for students to study in and allows them to excel .

Institutes Declared as Institutes of National Importance

With the rapid development in the field of education, the number of Institutes declared as INI’s has increased. There are more than 90 INI’s in the country today. They include-

• All Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as per the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017
• All Indian Institutes of Medical Sciences (IIMS) as per the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Act, 2012.
• Indian Institutes of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) as per the NITSER(A) Act 2014.
• All Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) as per the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.
• All National Institutes of Technology (NITs) as per the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007.
• Fifteen Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
• All National Institutes of Design (NID’s) as per the National Institute of Design Act 2014.
• All National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)
• Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) as per the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959.
• All Schools of Planning and Architecture as per the School of Planning and Architecture Act, 2014.
• All National Institutes of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research (NITTTRs)

Even though we have quite a few Institutes of National Importance, some institutes have been proposed to become Institutes of National Importance, the institutes currently proposed to be elevated to the status of an Institutes of National Importance include-

• National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM)
• Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT)
• National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
• Indian National Defense University (INDU)
• Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI)
• Gujarat Ayurved University