Setting up and operationalisation of six new IITs and in-principle approval for establishment of these IITs as Registered Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860

No: --- Dated: Dec, 02 2015

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved setting up of six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Goa, Jammu, Kerala and Karnataka. The Cabinet further gave its approval for operationalisation of these IITs initially by forming of Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in order to give a legal status to them till the amendment for their incorporation in The Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 is enacted. 

Each new IIT will have an initial intake of 180 students in its first year from temporary / transit which would increase to 450 in the second year and to 928 (840 Undergraduates, 80 Postgraduates and 8 Ph.D.) in the third year of their operation. 

The total cost for running these IITs is Rs.1,411.80 crore and will be incurred between 2015-16 and 2018-19. 

The new IITs will be operated from their temporary campuses for the initial period of three years before shifting into their permanent campuses in the 4th year. Each IIT will have a sanctioned strength of faculty members, with a faculty-student ratio of 1:10. 

Background:

The present approval for the establishment of the six new IITs to be registered as Societies under the Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 to create new legal IIT entities, as passing the Bill for amendment of the IT Act, 1961 for incorporation of the six new IITs in the Parliament will take some time. 

The Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, contains no provision to enable establishment of new IITs. Every new IIT commenced since its enactment has required an amendment to the Act itself. In light of this, it would be appropriate to establish the new IITs through the formation of Societies as it has not been possible to amend the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 to make provision for establishment of new IITs, before the admissions to academic session 2015-16 in these new IITs.