The Central government has decided to stop funding the prestigious Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE).
The BJP government conveyed its inability to fund the institution orally in earlier in May and recently wrote a letter that it will stop funding from March 31, 2025.
Eminent engineers and intellectuals in the country opine that at a time when new technologies are emerging across the globe, it was unfortunate that the BJP government at Centre decided to sell it away or dilute the INAE that has been a guiding force for the country and many engineers. It had produced illustrious engineers over the decades.
Former INAE chairman and Atomic Energy wing chairman Mr Anil Kakodkar said he felt very sad that the Central government decided to disown the popular institution of the country. It will have an effect on the very foundation of the engineering sector in the country.
Sensing the trouble, the officials at INAE have geared up to meet the challenge posed by the BJP government. They were trying to mobilise funds from various sources to create a corpus fund and keep the institute going on. They were also holding discussions with eminent engineers and officials across the country.
The BJP-led NDA government headed by PM Mr Modi is not leaving any institute or public sector company from either selling it away or diluting it in the name of a fund crunch. He fails to answer how these were run over the decades when BJP was not in power.
When the emerging countries including those in the African continent are building up new institutes to meet global challenges, the Indian government is going in the reverse direction under the “able” leadership of Mr Modi.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao