Hubballi: The dream of establishing an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Dharwad has finally become a reality with academic activities all set to begin in the next 2-3 weeks.
The district administration has completed the civil work for the transit campus with proper renovation work carried out at the premises of Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) situated on National Highway just 12 km away from Dharwad. The premier institute will add another feather in the cap of Dharwad, which is known as an education and industrial hub.
A total of 120 students will be admitted to three courses-computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering. The administration has kept ready all required infrastructure with the laboratories for all the streams set up at a cost of Rs 3.05 crores as demanded by the mentor institute-IIT-Bombay in the first floor of the two-storeyed WALMI building. The hostel with 44 rooms is also ready to be occupied. The painting work of the three classrooms and chambers for all ten faculty members and director is underway. Deputy commissioner Rajendra Cholan said IIT, Bombay will sign a memorandum of understanding with the state government on occupying the transit campus and taking possession of 590 acres of land situated adjacent to the National Highway where a permanent campus will be established. "Dharwad-IIT has got advantage of being in the middle of fairly advanced industrial outlets with reserve forest on both sides, this will help students do good internship. It will help academia and industry to go hand-in-hand", human resource ministry additional secretary S. Subramanya said.
