Manipal to set up PIO varsity

By AMIT AGNIHOTRI

New Delhi, May 23: After two years of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announcing the project at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2006, the ministry of overseas Indian affairs has selected Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) to set up the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) University at Bangalore.

"The institute has been short-listed by an inter-ministerial committee on the basis of its experience of the vision, financial resources and land availability. I hope work on the university would start by next year," minister of overseas Indian affairs Vayalar Ravi told this newspaper. The minister further clarified that the institution, which will have the status of a deemed university, will offer 50 per cent seats for the wards of PIOs and the remaining half for Indian students. "It has been agreed upon that the PIO university will have the stipulated OBC quotas operating on the seats reserved for Indian students," Mr Ravi said.

With the name of the private party which will set up the university has been decided, the minister said that the other functional areas like building, faculty and the courses to be offered will be handled by MAHE.