Bihar : Water woes end, IIT on course

Waiting for a campus like IIT, Kharagpur

Patna, June 23: The Bihar Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is all set to open its doors for its first batch from July and August by admitting its quota of students, who cleared the Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE) recently.

However, the top technocrats in the making would be a "displaced lot" for they will have to reside and study (at least for three more years) in a temporary building in Pataliputra Industrial Estate Complex. Sources in the science and technology department revealed that it would take at least three years to complete the IIT complex in Amahara near Bihata.

The Bihar government had earmarked 500 acres at Bihata for the complex last year after the Centre allotted an IIT to Bihar.

A team of experts from IIT, Roorkie, that inspected the site in October 2007 raised objections about the feasibility of construction on land earmarked for the IIT.

Experts feared that the complex would be partly submerged in the rainy season as the allotted land was in a low-lying area.

"We have now earmarked 500 acres in Amahara, 10km from Bihata, that is an upland," said Shahid Ali Khan, the science and technology minister, adding: "The experts have already cleared the site and the human resource development ministry has approved it."

The HRD ministry has also approved the start of the first session from this year, Khan said.

However, sources in the science and technology department conceded it would take three years to "fully acquire" the 500 acres and build the complex.

For now, IIT, Patna, that has IIT, Guwahati, as its mentor, will offer electrical and mechanical engineering, besides computer science.

"The curriculum, syllabi, fee structure and rules for the new technical school will broadly remain the same as in its mentor IITs," the science and technology department official said.

He added that authorities in IIT, Guwahati, would carry out the first batch's admission and the mentor's faculties would come up to teach the first batch.

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Ranjan Rituraj Sinh , NOIDA
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