The IITs may be currently stretched to the limit, but the XIth five-year committee for higher education is working with these centres of excellence to expand their charts. The committee, headed by educationist Yash Pal, that is meeting IIT heads on Friday will discuss how the tech schools can change their character and, like American universities, enlarge their menu.

``Currently, IITs are premier undergraduate engineering schools doing some postgraduation and research work. Now, we want to give them a bigger role,'' Yash Pal told TOI. The noted scientist said he had discussed his suggestions with some IIT directors and a clearer picture would emerge after this week's meeting.

While the IITs will be given more oxygen in terms of starting courses of their choice, it's difficult to predict whether the new subjects offered will compare in excellence with the engineering departments, or be relegated to the sidelines, like the IITs' management schools. However, Yash Pal said, ``All great universities around the world offer a range of undergraduate courses. Our IITs can't be great unless they think in that direction.''

The committee is looking at the Big Daddy of engineering colleges for inspiration. ``If MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) or Caltech (California Institute of Technology) can offer a wider range of programmes that are wellknown, why not the IITs? Our IITs have produced wonderful engineers for the country. It's time they looked at offering more,'' he added.

Former Indian Institute of Science director Govardhan Mehta, who's also on the committee, said the country was currently at a stage where an institute running one programme is being termed a university.