Tharoor Urges Centre to Grant National Importance Status to IIST
New Delhi : Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor has urged the Union Government to grant the Institution of National Importance (INI) and Centrally Funded Technical Institute (CFTI) status to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram. In a written submission under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha, laid on the table due to House disruptions, Tharoor highlighted IIST’s vital role in India’s space programme.
Founded to develop exceptional talent for ISRO and the Department of Space, IIST is the first of its kind in Asia. It ranked 51st in the NIRF Engineering Rankings 2024 and holds an A+ NAAC accreditation. Despite a 2020 recommendation from the Space Commission to elevate IIST’s status, the proposal remains unimplemented.
Tharoor stressed that granting INI and CFTI status would provide IIST with greater autonomy, increased funding, and smoother academic integration with other premier institutions. He said the move would help IIST emerge as a global leader in space education and research, bolstering India’s ambitions in space exploration.
