Patna: Pradip Kumar Jain, dean (research & development) and professor of electronics at Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, will be the new director of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna.

With the appointment of Jain, there will be four educational institutions in the state, which are being headed by people having associations with the Banaras Hindu University.

The other three institutions which are headed by BHU teachers or administrators are Harish Chandra Singh Rathore, the vice-chancellor of Central University of south Bihar, Harikesh Singh, the vice-chancellor of Jai Prakash University, Chhapra and S.K. Singh, the vice-chancellor of Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga.

A senior NIT teacher said: "While appointing heads of NITs, the human resource development ministry is looking for people with right-wing ideology apart from their academic achievements. For the director's post there were several candidates, including former NIT-Patna director Asok De but the HRD ministry went ahead with Jain."

The teacher said De could have been given an extension as he had carried out massive developments at the institute. "But his term was not extended as he was appointed by the UPA government," the teacher said. De, who was appointed NIT-Patna director on July 24, 2012, had carried out infrastructure strengthening work at the college. During his tenure, De had managed to build hostel blocks, playground for students and accommodation for teaching and non-teaching staff. His term expired in July this year.

People close to the new director said Jain is an "outstanding person with excellent academic record".

H.C.S. Rathore, the VC of CUSB who had worked with Jain earlier, said: "Jain saheb is a thorough gentleman. He is sincere and hardworking. As the dean (research & development) at the electronics department, BHU, he had given research prime importance."

Jain, too, said his priority would be to strengthen research and academics at NIT-Patna. From Varanasi, Jain said: "My priority will be to improve research and academics so that NIT-Patna becomes one of the premier engineering institutions in the country."

Jain is likely to take charge in the second week of November.