Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan unveils 25-year roadmap to make IITs inclusive, research-driven, and future-ready

New Delhi, India: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired the 56th IIT Council Meeting on Monday, emphasising the need to make Indian Institutes of Technology more inclusive, research-focused, and aligned with 21st-century requirements.The 25-year roadmap aims to ensure IITs lead India’s scientific and societal progress by 2047, supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a “Samriddh, Viksit and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”In a post on X, Pradhan wrote, “Pleased to chair the 56th IIT Council Meeting to take stock of the academic progress and chart the roadmap for the next 25 years, particularly for making our IITs more inclusive, research-driven, aligned to the needs of the 21st century and how these prestigious institutions will lead India’s scientific, technological and societal progress by 2047 in sync with the strategic goals outlined by Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji during his Independence Day address.“Referring to IITs as the “crowning jewels of our higher education system,” the minister underscored their central role in achieving the national goal of a “Samriddh, Viksit and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”Earlier, on August 20, Pradhan described the passage of the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in Parliament as a “historic milestone.”This followed the Lok Sabha’s August 19 approval of a bill to establish the Indian Institute of Management in Guwahati.In another post on X, he wrote, “A historic milestone in Assam’s ascent as an eminent educational hub. With the passage of The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Parliament, Assam gets its 1st #IIM in Guwahati. Envisioned by Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodiji as an outcome of the trilateral agreement between Union Govt., Assam Govt., and ULFA for the comprehensive development of Assam, IIM Guwahati will address regional disparities in higher education, facilitate world-class management education and research and further contribute to the development of ‘Ashtalakshmi’ in line with the vision of Purvodaya.“Amid opposition uproar, Pradhan said the IIM (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will further amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017. The bill seeks to establish the Indian Institute of Management at Guwahati in Assam, an important centre in the North-Eastern region of the country.Introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 18, the bill comes amidst opposition protests demanding a debate on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.IIM Guwahati will be the second IIM in the North-East and the 22nd in the country. Its permanent campus will be located at Palasbari, with IIM Ahmedabad acting as its mentor. After Meghalaya, Assam will now host its first IIM, strengthening higher education in the region. ANI