No new IIT's under public-private partnership says Parliamentary panel

 A Parliamentary panel today strongly disapproved setting up of new IIITs under public private partnership mode fearing it would give rise to conflict between welfare objective of the government and profit motive of industry.

The government proposes to set up 20 new Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs) across the country under PPP mode.

The cost of each IIIT would be Rs 128 crore and it would be contributed by the Centre, state government and the industry in the ratio of 50:35:15%. 

The department related Standing Committee on HRD, however, apprehended that these institutes would be purely private entity right from day one given the provisions in the legislation.

"An individual entity having a stake on the ownership might give rise to conflict between the welfare objective of the government and profit motive of the industry a few years down the line," it said.

To buttress its point, the committee further referred to the state-funded institutes like IITs and NITs which are functioning remarkably well and known world-wide for their excellence despite no industry having a stake in their ownership.

The committee made its observation after examining the Indian Institute of Information Technology Bill, 2013 introduced in Lok Sabha during the last Budget Session. The Bill seeks to establish 20 new IIITs and declare the existing four into institutes of national importance.