Bengal Engineering and Science University, in Shibpur. A Telegraph picture

The central and state governments will negotiate the upgrade of Bengal Engineering and Science University.

At a meeting held in New Delhi on Friday, Union human resources development minister Arjun Singh told the state government representatives that their submission on the mode of admission and governance at the proposed Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST) would be considered. The Centre will “respond to the submissions adequately”, he said.

The ministry had agreed on principle to the upgrade of the university (Besu) to an Institute of National Importance (INI) in a letter to the state government on May 5 this year.

The Delhi meeting was also attended by Kerala education minister M.A. Baby, representatives of the Andhra Pradesh government and Brinda Karat. Apart from Besu, institutes from the two states are among those recommended for upgrade by the Anandakrishnan Committee.

On being asked when the negotiations will take place, the joint secretary of the Union department, Ravi Mathur, stated: “We are awaiting submissions from the Andhra government. We will have to take a comprehensive approach.”

The draft NIT Bill is now in the Lok Sabha, after being passed by the Rajya Sabha.

The secretary of the Union department, Rameshwar Pal Agarwal, had written to state chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb: “In order to convert this institute into an INI to be called IIEST, Shibpur, legislation will have to be brought in Parliament. After passage of such a legislation, the management of the institute along with its assets and liabilities would be transferred to the central government. The state government will have to agree to such an arrangement.”

State higher education minister Sudarshan Roy Choudhury, who met Singh on Friday, said: “I told him that such a decision cannot be taken before our submission on admissions and governance has been considered.”

According to sources, Roy Choudhury is miffed at secretary-level correspondence from the central government over a policy decision.