The human resource development ministry has ignored Jadavpur University’s claim for the status of an Institution of Eminence (IoE) despite a recommendation from higher education regulator UGC.

The ministry on Thursday awarded the tag to five public-funded institutions — IIT Madras, BHU, IIT Kharagpur, University of Delhi and University of Hyderabad — which would get up to Rs 1,000 crore for expansion and improvement.

“In regard to 2 State Universities, Jadavpur University, West Bengal and Anna University, Tamil Nadu were also selected by the Empowered Committee and the State Governments have been asked to indicate their commitment towards their contribution under the IoE scheme,” a ministry press release said.

The UGC had last month forwarded to the ministry a list of 14 institutions — seven of them public-funded, including Jadavpur University (JU) and Anna University.

In its vision document, JU had projected an expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore. The ministry last month wrote to the Bengal government to commit that it would add Rs 2,000 crore to the central grant of Rs 1,000 crore. The state government is yet to respond.

“The UGC’s rules do not say the state government will have to make any (funds) commitment. Why is such a condition being put now?” Manojit Mandal, an English professor at JU, had told The Telegraph two weeks ago.

Higher education secretary R. Subrahmanyam had defended the move. “The state government is the owner of the universities funded by it. That is why the state government has been asked to make a commitment to provide the balance amount,” he had said last month.

The ministry on Thursday issued letters of intent to five private institutes. They would have to fulfil some requirements to get the IoE tag.