Criticism over ‘Institute of Eminence’ tag to non-existent Jio Institute

The Reliance Foundation plans a Rs. 9,500 crore investment to set up the Jio University which has now been granted an “Institute of Eminence” tag in Pune, where it promises to recruit some of world’s best faculty. Reliance sources said the Jio Institute had applied for the “eminence” tag after a tough questionnaire, on merits. “Our performance is proved in Reliance industries. We do not want any financial assistance or benefit,” the sources said.

As questions swirled on social media, where the Jio Institute has been a trending topic, the government clarified that Jio was named in the “greenfield” category, which acknowledges new proposals yet to start.

Education Secretary R Subramanyam said it was a mistake to think the Jio Institute had already been awarded the “eminent” label. “If they set up a good campus within three years and have a good faculty and fulfill all the criteria, they will get the Institute of Eminence status. Right now they don’t have the tag, they only have a letter of intent,” he said.

The top official also clarified reports of a Rs. 1,000 crore grant, stressing that this was meant only for the public institutions, that is, Indian Institute of Science, IIT Delhi and IIT Mumbai.

“Any institution which is seeking such status must establish its credentials by various acknowledged established tests like adequate infrastructure, outstanding faculty, credible research output and a place of prestige in the academia,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters in a bid to condemn the HRD Ministry over the tag of Institute of Eminence to the Jio Institute in question.

“This is the obligation of the government and the HRD ministry and till now apart from a lot of talk, we have not seen great achievements in this regard. I think it is counterproductive and wrong to focus on an individual or institution by taking names or otherwise,” he added.

On Monday, the Congress handle had tweeted, “It is only under Modi government that a non-existent university can receive the tag of ‘Institute of Eminence’, just like a person can study a non-existent course and receive the degree of ‘Entire Political Science’.”