Visakhapatnam: The Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (Petroleum University) has become autonomous after the Parliament recently approved its statutes and they were published in the official gazette.Until now, the petroleum university was governed by the Societies Registration Act. With the Parliament’s approval, all its academic and administrative activities will be conducted in accordance with the statutes.The Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas will, now, constitute a new board of governors for the institute. This will replace the existing societal model of functioning of the varsity. IIPE University can also appoint a registrar, finance officer, office superintendent, deputy registrar and other administrative positions.Speaking to TOI, IIPE director Prof VSRK Prasad said they will, now, seek the approval of the board to appoint 40 permanent faculty. “The institute was accorded full autonomy after the statutes were published in the official gazette. Apart from the board of governors, a general council, senate and other internal committees will be constituted for the institution to take independent decisions. Once the new structure is in place, the administrative mechanism of the institute will be different from the existing one,” said Prof Prasad.Prof Prasad added that the primary objective of the institution is to foster a climate for close educational and research activities through networking with national and international players in the petroleum, oil, gas and petrochemical industry and the energy sector. “Fortunately, the institute is getting a lot of support from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur as a mentor institute. Andhra University is extending all infrastructural support, while the HPCL is contributing all what it can do for the varsity,” said Prof Prasad.The new board, from time to time, can make new or additional statutes or may amend or repeal the existing statutes. As per the IIPE Act, 2017, the board will comprise a president (appointed by the Union government), director of the IIPE, two persons from the promoting companies (nominated by the Union government), one professor of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, five eminent experts in the field of petroleum technology, two professors of the IIPE and one representative of the graduates of the institute. The registrar of the institute will act as the secretary of the board.

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