IITs decide to 145;almost double146; intake, open new campuses

All set to expand, Indian Institutes of Technology IITs will be 8220;nearly doubling8221; their present intake, opening new campuses and...

All set to expand, Indian Institutes of Technology IITs will be 8220;nearly doubling8221; their present intake, opening new campuses and introducing new courses.

Sources in the IIT have told The Indian Express that IIT-Roorkee has already zeroed in on NOIDA to locate its new campus while at least two other IITs are 8220;scouting for land.8221;

Though the attempt by IIM, Bangalore to open a campus in Singapore had ran into trouble with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, IIT expansion plans have the full backing of the Ministry.

Asked if the IITs were contemplating a campus abroad, one of the IIT directors said 8220;it is a question of how one prioritises, IITs are keen to expand within India8221;.

IIT-Delhi is likely to open a campus in Rajasthan, either in Jaipur or Alwar. IIT-Chennai will start a research centre in BHEL at Trichy, keeping the option of developing it into a campus later. IIT-Mumbai, which had signed an MoU with the Goa government four years ago, is pursuing the project to start a campus there. It will also upgrade its present campus in Powai. IIT-Kanpur too will have a new campus.

8220;IITs which have land to upgrade will do it in the present campus whereas others are looking for new places,8221; sources told The Indian Express.

nbsp;	Who8217;s going where

		nbsp;	8226; IIT Roorkee: Identifies land in NOIDA 8226; IIT-Delhi: Eyes Rajasthan, campus either in Jaipur or Alwar 8226; IIT-Chennai: Research centre at BHEL in Trichy, may develop it into campus later 8226; IIT-Mumbai: Wants to start campus in Goa. May upgrade Powai campus 8226; IIT-Kanpur: Also wants to open a new campus	nbsp;

Those state governments who can pitch-in with land and some resources will stand a better chance. 8220;There is already a scramble among state governments and towns to locate new campuses8221; sources said.

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The intake increase will be across the board, including the flagship B.Tech programmes in all IITs.

Moreover, all IITs will start a string of new programmes, mostly in social sciences. IIT Chennai has already unveiled its new five-year integrated MA in Humanities last week and other IITs are in the process. Delhi IIT will have a Policy Research Centre in collaboration with a foreign partner.

Most new courses will be five-year integrated MA programmes in different social science streams, meant to 8220;further add value to the brand IIT8221;.

IITs are also in the process of enhancing coordination amongst themselves to ensure uniformity in standards.

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All IIT directors met in Roorkee in January where they discussed these issues. A meeting of all registrars too is in the pipeline.

It8217;s not immediately clear how the new initiatives will be funded. Planning Commission sources, who said the Human Resources Development Ministry had made a credible case for increased allotment in higher and technical education, were non-committal on increasing funds. An IIT source said more private participation would be sought.