New Delhi: Deputy Chairperson of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia has rejected President Pratibha Patil's proposal to setup an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) exclusively for women at Amravati, the President's hometown in Maharashtra.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had already approved the President's proposal and it was then sent to the Planning Commission for its in-principle approval.

The PMO explained to the Planning Commission that the proposal for the all-women IIT in Amravati was independent of the six new IITs which have already started their academic sessions this year.

It is said that the establishment of such an institution in a backward area like Amravati, will serve as a catalyst for women's education in the area.

The Planning Commission, however, rejected the proposal stating that the approval for setting up the all-women IIT would lead to similar demands for the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

It further said that none of the higher education institutions including the IIMs, NITs, IIITs etc were gender-specific and therefore accepting such a proposal for an all-women IIT would hurt the premier engineering institute's brand.

Sources inform that a last attempt would be made to convince the Planning Commission.

According to an official, "What is wrong if there is a demand for an all-women IIM or NIT? The world over there are institutions exclusively for women. Japan has more than 10 all-women universities offering courses in varied disciplines."

The suggestion to start India's first all-women IIT at Amravati had in fact been mooted by Saint Gadgebaba University vice-chancellor Kamal Singh. Patil followed it up when she became the country's first woman president last year.