IIIT to be set up in Assam

An Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) would be set up at Mirza near here in Assam on the lines of IIT, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said today.

The project has been conceived in public-private mode with central government and Assam government and leading industry partners as stake holders, Gogoi told reporters here.

The IIIT is in response to the union HRD ministry's decision to set up 20 new IIITs across the country in addition to the existing four institutes of international standard in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gandhinagar and Delhi, he said.

"With world-class infrastructure for academics and research in the field of information technology and sciences," Gogoi said, "emphasis would be on industry-interface research and development relevant to Assam, besides skill development benefitting the youths of the state to be employable here and elsewhere."

The Centre would have a share of 57.5 per cent, Assam government 35 per cent and the rest 7.5 per cent would be together held by the Tata Group, Oil India Ltd and Amtron he added.

The first board of governors of the IIIT would be decided in consultatiojn with S Ramadorai, Former TCS chief and present advisor to the Prime Minister in the national skill development council.

Ramadorai said, "We want to start classes in August 2012 and students can join the Institute after class 12. We will also focus on undergraduate researh. We will also concentrate on local domains and needs and how to bridge the two."