Union Minister Smriti Irani today laid foundation stones for three premier educational institutions coming up in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, which is famous for the Tirupati Balaji temple.
The Human Resource Development Minister laid the foundation stones of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT).
"Though Tirupati is known as a world pilgrimage centre at the feet of Lord Venkateshwara, let's give something unique to the students of entire nation (through these three national institutions). I am sure that IIT Tirupati will compliment the dream and vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi on '100 smart cities'," Irani said in her address.
IIT Tirupati would be established in an area of 590 acres at Meralapaka village in Yerpedu mandal near Tirupati in Chittoor district and IIT Madras will mentor the Tirupati campus.
"I am glad to announce today that the IIT Chennai team will ensure that engineering specially in smart infrastructure is developed in IIT Tirupati, which will not only compliment the dreams of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu but will also compliment the work of PM who has tasked Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu to ensure that our country has '100 smart cities'," she said.
Venkaiah Naidu also spoke on the occasion.
IISER Tirupati, which would be mentored by IISER Pune, will initially function from a temporary campus until the permanent one comes into existence. IISER Pune will ensure that earth system and climate change are taught at IISER Tirupati, she said.
The IIIT is being set up at Sri city, Satyavedu mandal in Chittoor district. IIIT would also focus on research in the areas of ESDM (Electronic System Design & Manufacturing), automotive electronics, cloud computing, data analytics, technologies for smart cities, supply chain and logistics, clean energy and aerospace, a government release had earlier said.
