Govt ropes in TCS for much-awaited IIIT project

The state government has roped in leading IT firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as its industry partner to set up the country's fifth Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT).

Sources close to the development said the government had been trying hard for the last three years to get the Centre's nod for setting up an IIIT. Following this, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) suggested the state to take up the project on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

"IT giant TCS showed interest in the project. The government and the company are finalising the modalities for the project. The HRD Ministry has been informed about the development and the final clearance to the project is expected to be given shortly," said an official.

Sources added the Institute is likely to come up near Vadodara and a formal announcement about the exact site would be made soon.

They said the estimated cost of the project is Rs130 crore, 50 per cent of which is likely to be paid by the Centre, 35 per cent would be contributed by the state and the rest by the industry partner.

While the state would provide land free of cost, the participating industry would also contribute towards research laboratories, internships, faculty chairs. The Centre will also provide recurring expenditure of Rs 10 crore per annum for the first four years from the commencement of the institute.

Currently, Allahabad, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Kanchipuram house an IIIT each, offering undergraduate as well as postgraduate courses. Admissions for undergraduate courses in IIITs are done through the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE).

The 11th Five Year Plan envisages establishment of 20 more IIITs in the country on the PPP model.

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