NEW DELHI, Nov 3—The Scientific Advisory Committee of the Cabinet today cleared a proposal for a $ 1 billion top-class technical institution in the country and forwarded several recommendations, including a program of action on critical technology.

The high-level committee, headed by top scientist A.P.J Abdul Kalam, approved an NRI proposal to set up an IIT-type global institute of technology in India at a cost of $ 1 billion but put conditions for restricting high fees and corporate salaries for professors. “We welcome the proposal by a group of NRIs since there is a resource constraint on the part of the government. But we do not want the proposed institute to become an elitist establishment charging high fees from students and giving corporate salaries to professors,” Kalam told newsmen here after the second meeting of the committee, set up in March this year.

Kalam, Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, explained that an elitist institution could “disturb” the academic structure in the country and such a private body could also create ripples by deciding what should be taught to students. The decision of the committee is being sent to the HRD Ministry and a final view would be taken by a group of ministers headed by Minister for Science and Technology Murli Manohar Joshi. The 35-member committee also asserted the need to develop critical technologies with forward strategic thinking in the interest of the country’s security, including in the economic field. Besides Kalam, the meeting was attended by Atomic Energy Commission Chairman R. Chidambaram, CSIR chief R.A. Mashelkar, M. Vidyasagar from TATA and several other top scientists.

Replying to questions, Kalam said the committee had finalised specific critical technology projects but declined to give details, maintaining its report was classified and would be sent for the government’s consideration. The committee also took decisions in key areas relating to simplification of administrative and financial rules and maximal utilisation of human resource of women scientists and technologists.

On India Millennium Mission -2020 aimed at transforming India from a developing to a developed country in the two decades, Kalam said a blueprint had been chalked out,focussing on wealth generation and protection.