Bill in LS to establish 20 more IIITs

NEW DELHI: A bill to establish 20 more Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and declare the four existing ones as institutions of national importance was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

The new IIITs would be set up under the public-private partnership mode, with the HRD Ministry, the state governments where these are to be established and the industry being partners, the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill 2013 said.

"The main objective in establishing IIITs is to set up a model of education which can produce world class human resource in the field of information technology," the bill, introduced by HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju, said.

The bill, which seeks to give the IIITs administrative autonomy, would confer the status of institutes of national importance on existing IIITs, situated at Gwalior, Allahabad, Jabalpur and Kancheepuram.

The establishment of each IIIT is expected cost Rs 128 crore, with the Centre bearing 50 per cent of the cost and the concerned state government 35 per cent. The remaining 15 per cent would be borne by industry partners.

Earlier, the Cabinet, while approving the legislation, had allowed PSUs to become partners in establishment of IIITs which are currently categorised as deemed universities.

Official sources had said the plan was to establish one IIIT in every state.