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Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday said the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) across the country will soon introduce new courses in medicine and even enroll foreign students as well as recruit foreign faculties at the post graduate level. "The government has decided to seek the approval of the Medical Council of India (MCI) for the course. The IIT council meeting decided to carry out appropriate amendment in the Institute of Technologies Act to enable the IITs to offer the medicine programme," said Sibal. "We are making sure that wherever the instruction leads to a degree relating to any branch of medicine, then of course clearances from Medical Council of India under the Act will have to be taken," he added. Sibal said the council has also decided to enable IITs to recruit foreign faculties, which should not be more than 10 per cent of the total faculty strength. "In principle, we agreed that IITs are entitled to recruiting foreign faculties. A mechanism will be set up with the help of the Home Ministry to ensure that there is no hiccup in the process and there is easy exit and entry of people," he added, after a meeting of the IIT council.

Medicine to be taught at IIT, says Sibal