PTI
 
Mumbai, Aug 25: Government has given its approval to the long-standing demand of appointing foreign professors at premium higher education institutions like the IITs and IIMs.

"IITs and IIMs can invite applications for appointing them provided they fulfil the legal formalities," Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a lecture here on Friday.

Welcoming the statement, IIT-Mumbai director Ashok Mishra, who had earlier written to the HRD Ministry for the same, said "experienced foreign faculty is needed to maintain the standards of the IITs."

 "Moreover, many persons of Indian origin, who have been IIT aluminis, have shown interest in teaching here," he said.

Last year, the Director of IIT-Chennai had also written to the HRD Ministry seeking permission to appoint foreign faculty.

Meanwhile, speaking at the lecture, Singh said the new policy initiatives of the government will increase the funding for higher education and announced a grant of Rs 2 crore for the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Contemporary Studies of the University of Mumbai.

University of Mumbai Vice-Chancellor Vijay Khole asked for the varsity, one of the oldest in the country having completed 150 years, to be awarded the status of a central university so that it comes under the purview of the national funding scheme.