Degree-granting powers to IIIT Raichur, 4 others

The Centre has set the stage for the grant of 'Institute of National Importance' tag and degree-granting powers to the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Raichur and four other IIITs set up in the public-private-partnership mode.

For this purpose, the Union Cabinet, at its meeting on Wednesday, approved the Indian Institute of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the meeting.

The IIITs set up in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur and Agartala are the other four institutions which will get the 'Institute of National Importance' tag, along with powers to award degrees, once the amendment bill gets Parliament's approval.

The government is expected to bring the bill in Parliament soon for its consideration.

“This (passage of the bill) will entitle the five IIITs to use the nomenclature of BTech, MTech and PhD degree as awarded by a university or an institution of national importance,” the government said in a statement after the Cabinet meeting.

The passage of the amendment bill will also enable the five institutes to attract enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology, a Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry official said.

The IIIT Raichur is currently functioning from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad campus, under the mentorship of the premier technical institute.

Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board secretary Subodh Yadav had recently said that efforts were on to get the institute started from the next academic year in a makeshift arrangement at the Government Engineering College, Raichur.

The government had announced the establishment of the institute in Raichur in PPP mode in January 2018. Prakash Javadekar was the then HRD minister.

IIITs in Raichur, Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur and Agartala are functioning as societies registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

“Once the amendment bill gets Parliament's nod, they will be covered under the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, similar to the other 15 IIITs established in the PPP mode. The bill provides for the formalization of the five IIITs,” a ministry official said.