IIIT-Raichur may soon shift to its hometown

BENGALURU: The International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Raichur, currently functioning out of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-Hyderabad campus, is likely to come to Raichur, turning the long-cherished dream of the city to have an institute of importance into a reality.
According to Subodh Yadav, regional commissioner and Hyderabad-Karnataka Regional Development Board (HKRDB) secretary, a temporary arrangement has been made at the Government Engineering College, Raichur, to accommodate the institute.HKRDB will fund the renovation of the college besides other additional facilities that are required for the shifting of the IIIT to its hometown.
“We had proposed the same place last year when they were commencing the first batch. However, the institute wanted to go to its well established mentor institute centre and had requested some additional facilities in the engineering college,” Yadav said.
“This included approach roads, additional water facility and some other basic infrastructure. We have added these features. The team from the institute visited the college and were satisfied,” he added.
The Karnataka government is also opening a hostel facility for the engineering college that will have sufficient rooms to accommodate two batches of IIIT-Raichur students.
According to Subodh, the state government has handed over 60 acre land for the permanent campus — complete with basic facilities such as water and electricity. The construction has to be taken up by the Centre. Its first batch of students is being taught mostly by the faculty of IIT-Hyderabad and the institute is also yet to get a full time director.
IIIT-Raichur was announced by the MHRD in 2016. It came as a relief for Raichur which had by then lost to Dharwad in the race for an IIT.