Poor roads hampering education sector also: IIT Director

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, August 21

Bad roads and poor air connectivity is not only affecting the tourism sector in the state but also obstructing the education sector from flourishing. Renowned institute like the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, is facing a lot of difficulties in getting eminent resource persons in the institute to interact with students.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Prof Timothy A Gonsalves, Director, IIT-Mandi, said, “There is an urgent need to strengthen our transport system, especially road infrastructure and air connectivity, to derive real benefit from such institutes and draw more scholars from the country and abroad.”

“Presently, we are facing a lot of difficulty in drawing eminent resource persons to deliver lecture to students, sharing their experiences and success stories as we are lacking air connectivity in the district, while the condition of roads are miserable,” he added.

Appreciating the support of the state and Central government he said both governments should work together to establish an air strip in Mandi.

“At present the students’ strength in the institute is 837 in postgraduate and PhD courses. The institute targets 5,000 students till 2029,” said Gonsalves.

He said though the Bhunter airport was near, but air connectivity in Mandi was essential to draw eminent scholars as well as resources persons to the institute.

He said now the state was going to become a hub of top class educational institutes like IIT and AIIMS, which would require such facilities in advance to reap the real benefit of such institutions for the welfare of society.