The Centre has set up a panel to recommend fresh norms and criteria for determining land requirement for elite institutions like IITs and IIMs taking into account the topography and class of a city. According to a directive by the HRD Ministry, revising land requirement should be such that it is more “realistic” and takes into account technological development which allows for vertical expansion of buildings.
The panel headed by HRD Secretary SN Mohanty would also seek suggestions from leading architect of the country Hafeez Contractor to develop model architectural plan for setting up such institutes. The panel will also have software giant Infosys to resolve problems arising due to availability of land in setting up of new IITs, IIMs and central universities in cities and towns and thereafter suggest the Ministry on various aspects including determining land requirement for central higher educational institutions.
In a recent meeting of the panel it was suggested that these institutes be set up in areas which are accessible by air and in vicinity of business or industrial hubs to get quality faculty and opportunities for students to take up internships.
Mohanty was of the view that the central educational institutes should be set up in areas, which are accessible by air and in the vicinity of business or industrial hubs to get quality faculty and provide opportunities for students to take up internships. It should be no further than a 30-40 minute drive from the nearest airport.
Currently land requirement varies from around 100 acres for IITs to around 200 acres for IIMs and IISERs, and around 300 acres for NITs. Ministry sources said that the panel in its first meeting on December 8 had decided that its members Ashok Mishra (chairperson of IIT Roorkee’s Board of Governors) and Chairman of ICICI Bank KV Kamath “will interact with Hafeez Contractor and submit model architectural plans for various categories of the institutions in the next meeting”.