Raichur gets IIIT

The Centre on Wednesday announced the decision to set up an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Raichur.

While making the announcement, Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar requested the Karnataka government to provide a building to set up a temporary campus at the earliest.

"If the state government provides a building for a temporary campus, the ministry will begin the process to ensure that the institute functions from the 2018-19 academic year itself," Javadekar told reporters.

He also requested the state government to identify 50 to 100 acres in Raichur and submit a detail project report to the Ministry of Human Resources Development for setting up a permanent campus.

The institution will be set up under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. IIIT-Raichur will replace the proposed IIIT at Kakinada.

To a question whether the Centre is sanctioning the IIIT at Raichur keeping in view the Assembly polls, Javadekar said there is no politics, only education.

Chemical and Fertilizer Minister Anant Kumar said: "The setting up of IIIT at Raichur was a long-standing demand of this region and he (Javadekar) had received a memorandum from K Shivana Gowda Nayak from Devadurga Assembly segment in Raichur district."

Earlier, when the Centre sanctioned IIT-Dharward, people of Hyderabad-Karnataka region asked for an IIIT at Raichur.

"The Centre has fulfilled the demand...," said Hubli-Dharwad Lok Sabha member Prahlad Joshi.