The nearly two-decade-old demand for setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Karnataka will become a reality with the announcement by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on Saturday.
Apart from an IIT in Karnataka, the Union Budget 2015–16 also proposes to upgrade Indian School of Mines at Dhanbad to an IIT.
The news set the buzz in the State though the location has not been finalised. While the IIT Horata Samiti, which spearheaded the agitation demanding establishment of the premier institute in the State, has urged the government to set it up in Raichur to overcome the regional imbalances, an earlier demand was to set it up in Muddenahalli in Chickballapur district. But several students have felt that the IIT should be closer to Bengaluru, which is known for its research institutions and accessibility.
Earlier, in a series of letters to the Union government, including the one sent on February 18, 2015 to Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Irani, Higher Education Minister R.V. Deshpande had drawn attention to the State’s “long cherished dream” to have an IIT and had even assured of providing land required for its establishment. Mr. Deshpande, in the legislature last year, said the State government was willing to provide 500 acres of land for free for the purpose.
Mr. Deshpande was not available for comments on Saturday. Basavaraj Kalasa, president of the samiti, said they would meet Mr. Deshpande and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on their demand for setting up the IIT in Raichur as it would help fight the backwardness of the region.
