AP Assembly adopts Bill to set up IIITs

Hyderabad, Mar 19 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Assembly today adopted by voice vote a Bill for creating the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge and three International Institute of Information Technologies (IIITs) in the three regions of the State.

However, main Opposition TDP Legislature Party Deputy Leader T Devender Goud protested over the criteria for locating an IIIT in Idupalapaya in Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's home district of Kadapa.

Explaining the objectives and reasons for bringing in the Bill, Information Technology Minister R Damodar Reddy said the Government decided to locate the IIIT in faction-prone Idupalapaya to remove the causes for growth of factionalism.

The three IIITs, being located in Basara in the Telangana region, Idupalapaya in Rayalaseema region and Nuzivid in Coastal Andhra region at a cost of Rs 2,940 crore, would admit 6,000 students with rural background, offering six-year courses in frontier areas of technology, including biotechnology, nano technology and information technology, for those who had completed tenth standard.

The Government would bear the educational expenses of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Minorities and stand guarantee for educational loans for other students.

Evenwhile welcoming the Bill, CPI(M) Floor Leader N Narasimaiah objected to the provision for involving private players.

Clarifying, the Minister said private players would be involved only for providing training and placements at a later stage.

UNI SM VA YA DS1630