The Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DAIICT) has been renamed Dhirubhai Ambani University. A Bill proposing the name change was passed by the Gujarat Assembly on Thursday.
The Bill seeks to include education, training and research in subjects other than information and communication technology. It was presented in Assembly by the Minister of State for Education, Praful Pansheriya. The Bill was supported by all, including the Congress party members.
Pansheriya said that the objective of the university has been broadened to make it a multidisciplinary education and research university under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
With the broadening of scope, the institute will now have courses like engineering, mining, energy, environment, medical science, nursing, paramedical, commerce, management, law, humanities, social sciences, political science, economics, architecture, fashion designing, performing arts, mass media, film, journalism, sports, animal husbandry, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, skill development and others.
The Bill stated, “The object and function clauses required substitution by enlarging the scope of areas in which the university can function and offer educational and research opportunities. Therefore, substitution of the word ‘institute’ with the word ‘university’…”
Congress MLA Arjun Modhwadia said that while the range of subjects could be increased, the university should continue focusing on information and communication technology.
DAIICT was set up in 2003 “to develop a culture for and bring about an awareness of information and communication technology and to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of a national action plan for information technology”.
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