Five IIITs given INI status; Can award M Tech and PhD degrees now

The Lok Sabha passed a bill on Wednesday (February 5) to enable Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) to award degrees, including MTech and PhD, as issued by autonomous universities.

The Union Cabinet gave its approval to confer the status of Institution of National Importance (INI) to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).

The Five IIITs in PPP mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur will now be able to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of Technology (BTech) or Master of Technology (MTech) or PhD degree.

The cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

The role of the central government in appointment of the chairman of the board of governors and the director to the 15 IITs has been removed.

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“The bill will declare the remaining 5 IIITs-PPP along with the existing 15 IIITs in PPP mode as Institutions of National Importance with powers to award degrees. This will entitle them to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of Technology (BTech) or Master of Technology (MTech) or PhD degree as issued by a university or institution of National Importance,” an official statement said.

It will also enable the institutes to attract enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology,” it added.

The cabinet also approved ex-post facto to 21 posts of directors, one each in 20 IIITs (PPP) and one in IIITDM Kurnool (IIIT-CFTI) besides ex-post facto to 21 posts of registrars, one each in 20 IITs (PPP) and one in IIITDM Kurnool (IIT-CFTI).

“The objective of the approval is for formalisation of IIITs at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur. These IIITs are already functioning as societies registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. They will now be covered under the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, similar to the other 15 IIITs established under the scheme in PPP mode,” the statement said.

“IIITDM Kurnool has been established as per the IIIT Act, 2014 and is functioning with the other 4 IIITs namely IIIT Allahabad, IIITM Gwalior, IIITDM Jabalpur, IIITDM Kancheepuram. The post of Director and Registrar in these IIITs are already existing and the present proposal merely formalises them without any additional financial outgo,” it said.

(With inputs from agencies.)