Permanent campuses for six new IITs by 2020: Ministry

Permanent campuses for six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) will be built by March 31, 2020, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry said on Friday.

The Union Cabinet had on Tuesday approved the decision to construct the campuses at a cost of Rs 7,002.42 crore for the six IITs, at present being run from the premises of other institutes.

"Each campus will have facility for housing 1,200 students, beginning from the academic year 2020-2021," said a statement from the Ministry.

"Currently, these institutions are functioning from temporary campuses with a total strength of 1,530 students. After construction of the campuses, this strength will go up to 7,200."

Six new IITs in Goa, Tirupati, Palakkad, Dharwad, Bhilai, and Jammu were approved in 2016 through the IIT (Amendment) Bill. The two IITs in Tirupati and Palakkad were started in 2015-16, while those in Dharwad, Bhilai, Jammu and Goa started operating in 2016-17.

Including these six there are 23 IITs across the country with the first built in 1951 in Kharagpur, West Bengal.

--IANS

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