Five new IITs likely to start functioning from next session

Five new IITs the Centre proposed in this year's Union Budget are likely to start functioning from the next academic session, officials in the HRD Ministry said.
While the Ministry has sent letters to each of the five states to identify two sites for setting up these prestigious institutes, work is on to start them from temporary campuses by next year, they said.
The five new IITs would come up in Jammu, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Five new IIMs have also been announced and Rs 500 crore have been earmarked for the purpose.
"We have already written to the state to identify two sites before the site selection committee of the Ministry visits the states and submits the reports.

"However, we plan to start the new IITs from temporary campuses from the next academic session as has been the case with the earlier IITs," officials said.
The new IITs were announced by the Narendra Modi Government in the Budget to fulfil one of its promises of providing an IIT in each state in the country. So far 16 IITs are functioning across the country.

As per estimates, each of the IITs would entail an investment of roughly Rs 1,800 crore.
Officials said as per the plan, the older IITs would initially mentor the new ones.
The Institute of Technology (IIT) Act will suitably be amended for including the new IITs under the law.

The 16 existing IITs now offer 10,000 B.Tech seats. The strength is likely to go up to 10,500 next year with the establishment of the new IITs.