IIT Bhubaneswar

Minister Arjun Singh laying the foundation stone Thursday.

The institute at Bhubaneswar is one among eight new IITs to be established in the country by the ministry of human resource during the Eleventh Plan period.

The IIT will come up at Aragul, 20 km from here, on 936 acres of land.

"The state government has already provided 516 acres of land free of cost," Deputy Secretary of Industry Department P.K. Panda told sources, adding that steps are being taken to provide rest of the land, water and electricity.

Parts of the campus, including class rooms, hostels and administrative buildings, expected to be ready in two years time, a faculty member of the IIT-Bhubaneswar said.

Around 120 students have already been admitted in three disciplines, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering in July last year.

"As the campus and building have not yet been built, the students are studying along with students of IIT Kharagpur," he said, adding that the student strength will increase to 240 in the next academy session (2009-2010).

IIT-Kharagpur has initiated measures to conduct classes in its Bhubaneswar centre from the next academic session.

"The centre will continue as the temporary campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar till its own campus comes up," Panda said. IANS
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