An Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) is coming up at Nagpur, with the Union HRD Ministry having given a go-ahead for the project. Announcing the Centre’s decision to locate the IIIT in his home city of Nagpur, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted on Thursday: "Glad to inform that Maharashtra gets its first Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT). It will be located at Nagpur".
In another tweet, Fadnavis thanked HRD Minister Smriti Irani for deciding to locate the IIIT at Nagpur. “The Government of Maharashtra received the IIIT approval letter today. Thanks to Union @HRDMinistry . Thank you @smritiirani ji!”
The decision to set up an IIIT at Nagpur is being seen as what is Pune’s loss is orange city’s gain. For, the Union HRD Ministry’s earlier proposal was to locate the IIIT at Pune. However, the proposal did not materialise owing to non-availability of land.
The move to set up IIIT at Pune was part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)’s plan to set up 20 such institutions across the country. The previous Congress-led UPA Government, which had come out with the plan in 2011, had announced that the proposed IIITs were would offer courses such as BTech, MTech and PhD in information technology.
The Maharashtra Government had zeroed in on Nanoli village in Chakan taluka of Pune to set up the IIIT. Though the work to set up IIIT campus at Nanoli was to begin in mid 2012, the project did not take off owing to the State Government’s failure to make available the land for the purpose.
The latest move to locate the IIIT at Nagpur instead of the earlier Pune is being seen as a feather in Fadnavis’ cap. Being Nagpurean himself, Fadnavis has successfully lobbied for the location of the IIIT in the orange city.