Land for proposed IIST handed over to ISRO

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 17 (UNI) The Kerala Government today handed over to ISRO the documents of the land at Valiyamala for setting up the proposed Institute of Space Science Technology (IIST).

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan handed over the documents of the land to ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair in the first phase of the transfer.

Mr Nair said steps would be taken to start courses at the new campus from next academic year.

The government had decided to give the 40 acres at Valiyamala, located close to the ISRO's Liquid Propulsion System, free of cost to the ISRO after month-long debates and controversies over the land transfer for setting up the institute, only third in the world.

IIST offers two four-year undergraduate courses in Space Technology and Aerospace Engineering and a five-year integrated Master's Degree in Applied Sciences.

Initially, the ISRO had requested for land in Ponmudi for setting up the main campus, but it was shelved following some controversies over the land.

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