Indian Institute of IT, Design and Manufacturing in search of campus

[sajiv]

Indian Institute of IT, Design and Manufacturing in search of campus

CHENNAI: Two years after the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing began functioning out of a make-shift place on the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras campus there are no signs of it getting a new campus with the promises made by the State government remaining on paper.

The IIITD&M is fully funded by the Centre and is an academic, research-cum-residential institute. It is an "inter-disciplinary institution for education and research in the area of product lifecycle management encompassing design and manufacturing using state-of-the-art concepts, tools, processes and practices of the industry world over."

In early 2008, a Revenue Department order (G.O.Ms.No.195 Revenue (LD II (1) Department dated April 2, 2008) referred to a decision to grant 40.5 hectares and 0.71 hectares in Melakottaiyur and Nallambakkam villages to the institute on lease basis for a period of 30 years initially.

This was renewable after the period of lease lapsed on payment of rent of Rs.2000 per acre per year. The rent was to increase by 25 per cent at the end of each bloc of five years.

Ever since this decision was taken, the institute has sent four letters and the then Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Arjun Singh, wrote to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on June 12, 2008 and November 11, 2008 to alienate the land promised free of cost to the IIITD&M as "State governments have been alienating land to Central Government for the purpose of establishing similar Central educational institutions."
Initial movement

Based on the letters of the Union Minister, there was some movement on alienating the land, officials said, but added that things came to a standstill quickly.

The institute, in its last few letters has pointed out that it had "addressed so many letters," and was "in contact with the Revenue Department," but the issue was yet to be resolved.

The institute has been functioning on the IIT-M campus from 2007 with "limited infrastructure," according to officials. The student strength has gone up and now stands at 147, including five Ph.D candidates admitted this academic year. IIT-Madras is facing a space crunch since it has many projects and programmes of its own and is finding it difficult to spare more space for classrooms and hostels for the IIITD&M.

According to the Institute website, it is envisioned as an academic institution of excellence that will facilitate and promote the competitive advantage of Indian products in global markets. IIT-Madras was entrusted with the responsibility of setting it up.

The facility, among other things, aims to produce highly qualified engineers and technologists at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, who will be capable of understanding and addressing a demanding array of competing design and manufacturing technologies, standards, innovations and business issues and opportunities with awareness of environmental and societal implications of these technologies.