  Decentralized PID controllers have been designed in this paper for
simultaneous tracking of individual process variables in multivariable systems
under step reference input. The controller design framework takes into account
the minimization of a weighted sum of Integral of Time multiplied Squared Error
(ITSE) and Integral of Squared Controller Output (ISCO) so as to balance the
overall tracking errors for the process variables and required variation in the
corresponding manipulated variables. Decentralized PID gains are tuned using
three popular Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) viz. Genetic Algorithm (GA),
Evolutionary Strategy (ES) and Cultural Algorithm (CA). Credible simulation
comparisons have been reported for four benchmark 2x2 multivariable processes.
