core sector communique

HRD Ministry Sanctions three New Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITS) on Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model

To address the challenges faced by the Indian IT industry and growth of the domestic IT market, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, intends to establish twenty Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT), on a Not-for-profit Public Private Partnership (N-PPP). The major objective in establishing IIITs is to set up a model of education which can produce best-in-class human resources in IT and harnessing the multi-dimensional facets of IT in various domains. These institutions are conceived as self-sustaining, research-led institutions contributing significantly to the global competitiveness of key sectors of the Indian economy and industry with application of IT in selected domain areas. The partners in setting up the IIITs would be the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Governments of the respective States where each IIIT will be established, and the industry. The capital cost of each IIIT is Rs. 128.00 crore to be contributed in the ratio of 50:35:15 by the Central Government, the State Government and the industry respectively. In the North-Eastern states, the industry participation for capital expenditure will be kept at 7.5% and Central Government participation at 57.50% while State Governments’ at 35%. The State Government will also provide 50-100 acres of land, free of cost. The project is targeted to be completed in a phased manner. Each IIIT will meet its entire operating expenditure on its own within 5 years of commencement out of students’ fees, research and other internal accruals. The scheme also provides for faculty development programme for which a sum of Rs. 50 crores has been earmarked. So far 17 State Governments have identified land. The proposals of three States namely, Assam, Tripura and Rajasthan for setting of IIIT in the PPP mode have been approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The IIITs may, initially, be registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and subsequently would come under the umbrella of a Central Legislation. 11 State Governments have identified land and are in the process of identifying the industry partners, etc. It is expected that shortly another three States may also be sanctioned an IIIT each under the Scheme.