New IITs, IIMs: Infosys, Hafeez Contractor's suggestions to be sought

The government has decided to seek suggestions from software giant Infosys and famed architect Hafeez Contractor to develop a model architectural plan for setting up new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

At a recently chaired meeting of a panel to determine land requirement for central higher educational institutions, it was also suggested these institutes be set up in areas which are accessible by air and in vicinity of business or industrial hubs to get quality faculty and opportunities for students to take up internships.

The panel was set up in November last year by the human resource development ministry with Higher Education Secretary Satya N Mohanty as its chairperson to resolve problems arising due to availability of land in setting up of new IITs, IIMs and central universities in cities and towns.

Currently, land requirement varies from around 100 acres for IITs to 200 acres for IIMs and Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, and around 300 acres for National Institutes of Technology (NITs).

Rapid urbanisation and expanding cities have forced the ministry to re-look into the land requirement.

At its first meeting held on December 8 last year, the panel had decided that its members Ashok Mishra (chairperson of IIT-Roorkee's Board of Governors) and Chairman of ICICI Bank K V Kamath "will interact with Hafeez Contractor and submit model architectural plans in the next meeting," a ministry note said.

It also underlined that air connectivity should be a priority in location of land for the campuses. Ideally, it should be no further than a 30-40 minute drive from the nearest airport.

Mohanty was of the view the central educational institutes should be set up in areas, which are accessible by air and in the vicinity of business or industrial hubs to get quality faculty and provide opportunities for students to take up internships.

One of the mandates of the committee is to recommend fresh norms and criteria for determining land requirement in different locations taking into account the topography and the class of a city.

According to the ministry's order, revising land requirement should be such that it is more "realistic" and takes into account technological development which allows for vertical expansion of buildings.