BHU-IT is now IIT Varanasi

On June 29 the Government of India officially notified the Institute of Technology (Amendment) Act 2012 thereby establishing the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi with effect from June 29, 2012.

Called Act No 34 of 2012, the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act gives legal status to all the newly opened IITs in the country.

According to the amendment Act, in the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961  for the words “and the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee”, the words “the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhi Nagar, the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, the Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar and the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi” shall be substituted.

The amendment Act awards a special status to the Vice-Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University, who will be ex officio Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi "and shall hold office for a period of three years with effect from such commencement."

This in effect means that the present Vice-Chancellor of BHU, Dr Lalji Singh will get the privilege to head an IIT for two years because he has nearly two years to go at the BHU and the remaining one year will be enjoyed by the next BHU vice-chancellor.

The amendment Act says that "the Director of the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, appointed under the provisions of the Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915 shall be deemed to have been appointed as Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi under this Act, and shall hold his office till Director is appointed
under this Act."

The explanation given in the Act says that the reference in the Act to the commencement of the Act shall be construed as the reference to the date on which the provisions of the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2012 come into force. This in effect means that the present director Prof Sinha will hold office till Director is appointed under the amendment Act.