Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has sought special assistance for the International Institute of Information Technology here.
In a letter to Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal, the Chief Minister said the Human Resource Development Ministry had been funding two universities or institutions with a grant of Rs.100 crore every year. “I wholeheartedly welcome this, and assure you all help from the Government of Karnataka. I will be grateful if you can kindly include IIIT-B as one of the universities for funding in the year 2010-11 with a one-time grant of Rs. 100 crore”.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Government established the IIIT-B in 1998. On the advice of the Union HRD Ministry, the name was changed to International Institute of Information Technology and the Institute was awarded a deemed university status in 2005. Chief Mentor of Infosys N.R. Narayana Murthy was the chairman of the governing body.
He said the State Government gave a start-up grant of Rs.10 crore between 1999 and 2002. It also provided the institute with funds to acquire eight acres of land and buildings in Electronic City in Bangalore. The institute received ample support from the IT industry in Bangalore.
The State Government also gave the institute substantial floor space in the Software Technology Park in Hubli and a grant of Rs. 3.42 crore. Thus, the institute conducted programmes in the tier-2 city of Hubli, in addition to the postgraduate programmes in Bangalore.
With the active support of the Government, industry and the academia the institute had been able to achieve a name in a short span.
IIIT-B, using its unique model of Graduate School, had produced more than 1,100 M. Tech graduates, who were with the IT industry in India and abroad. “On our part, the Government of Karnataka will be willing to provide land and infrastructure for the growth of the institute,” the Chief Minister added.
