New IITs hit by poor infrastructure : Sibal

Hyderabad, Jan 18 (PTI) The eight new IITs that werepermitted to set up in 2008 do not have the necessaryinfrastructure and are not up to the mark making it difficultfor the country�s prestigious institutions to retain faculty,said Kapil Sibal, Minister for HRD, Science and Technology andTelecom here today.

The Minister blamed the state governments for notallotting the required land for setting up permanent campusesfor these institutions.

"These new IITs are functioning in temporary campuses andunable to attract new faculties. Due to the same reason we arefinding it difficult to retain faculties. We need commitmentfrom state governments for at least 500 acres of land withoutany liabilities attached to it," Sibal said on the sidelinesof Geospatial World Forum which began here today.

The ministry started these new IITs (Indian Institute ofTechnologies)three years ago. Each institution should have atleast 90 teachers from all disciplines. According to reportsmost of the institutions do not have the required number ofteaching staff.

According to the Minister, these new IITs are yet to getpermanent campuses. In some states like Andhra Pradesh, whereland has been allotted, building and other infrastructure isnot in place yet.

Sibal said the ministry is holding talks with respectiveState Governments on the issue of land allocation.

"It is not only the IITs which are suffering. Even thenew Central universities announced by the Centre are findingit difficult to get land in states," Sibal told reporters.MOREPTI GDK ABC