Four years on, IIIT-R remains a mere poll promise

The Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), allotted to Raichur, has remained a mere campaign promise of the Central government. Though the Ministry of Human Resource Development had announced setting up of the institute in 2016 itself, it is yet to see the light of day.

While Subodh Yadav, secretary for Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board, has announced that the IIIT (R) will start from the next academic year, local activists are sceptical of the same, alleging that the government was not serious in starting the institution.

According to a recent tweet by Subodh Yadav, secretary, Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board, he was trying to get IIIT-R started from next year. "Trying to get IIIT Raichur started from next academic year at the makeshift arrangement at the government engineering college, Raichur. The Board is funding all renovation charges and other additional facilities."

While the tweet evoked encouraging response from the tweeple, locals remain skeptical of the announcement. Noting that Raichur was robbed of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in 2015, they say that premier educational institutions for the backward district was just a promise repeated ahead of every election.

"IIIT-R is for central government, what Raichur University is for State government - empty promise," said Venkatesh Patil, former academic council member of Gulbarga University. Almost four years after the institution was announced, authorities are yet to ready the required infrastructure to run an institute of such calibre, he said.

As of now, we have no information on whether the central government has released funds or whether the state government has allotted land.

"While authorities have announced that IIIT-R will be operational from the 2020-21 academic year, it appears to be a pipe dream," he said.

Another academic, who did not wish to be quoted, said that the institute was unlikely to take off as neither the Centre nor the state were keen on pushing for it. "If it was more than a promise, we would have seen at least one batch of students by now," he said, adding that it will be launched only after a 'few years'.

It can be recalled that an IIT was sanctioned to the state in 2015. Though earlier resolutions by the state cabinet had almost ensured the IIT to the backward district, last minute lobbying by MPs from the state resulted in an IIT at Dharwad. In order to pacify the people of Raichur, a IIIT was announced for Raichur.