Lord Buddha may smile on Bihar next week, during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India-as the Centre has decided to set up the proposed IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) in Bihar, in collaboration with the Japanese government. Mr Abe is scheduled to visit India on August 21.
The close affinity of Japanese with Bihar, the land where Lord Buddha got enlightened, has led to the move towards the IIT. Besides, the Japanese premier, during his visit in April 2005, had himself stated that his country would like to extend assistance to set up an IIT in India.
Confirming the move, Bihar’s Science and Technology Commissioner Ajay Kumar Thakur said, “the Union HRD ministry has already made recommendations for technological collaboration with Japan, in this connection. A formal proposal to this effect will be handed over to Mr Abe during his India visit.”
The UPA government had last year decided to set up three new IITs, one each in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
So far, all the seven IITs have entered into tie-ups with either USA, UK or Germany. The proposed IIT at Bihta, 35 kilometres from Patna, will be the first one to come up with Japanese assistance.
“Japanese collaboration will mean fast inflow of funds and latest technology. Besides, Japanese experts will extend their expertise to other fields as well,” said the commissioner.
A high-level five-member Union HRD ministry team recently visited the proposed site at Bihta (Patna district), to take stock of the situation.
Headed by HRD Joint Secretary Ravi Mathur, the team comprised AICTE Chairman R A Yadav, ex-director of Roorkie Institute of Technology D B Singh, Director of IIIT, Jabalpur, Sanjeev Bhargava and Director of IIT, Kanpur, S C Dandh.
Though Mr Mathur refused to come up with a specific timeframe for setting up the proposed IIT, Mr Dandh stated that the institute would have educational and research facilities of international standards. “It will also offer courses in subjects such as earthquake engineering and flood engineering,” he added.
