A section of the academics in the city are batting for an IIT in Mysuru citing the region’s positive factors and ambience for education.
The final decision on its location will be taken by the government after considering views of various experts. However, academics in the city draw attention to Mysuru’s proximity to Bengaluru, better connectivity compared to other regions of the State, fairly well-developed infrastructure and good weather conditions as some of the key factors in making a case for Mysuru.
N.N. Prahallad, retired professor from the Regional Institute of Education (RIE), said Mysuru was an important educational hub with many engineering colleges in the region. “Besides, the region has conducive weather and does not suffer from water scarcity in summer,” Prof. Prahallad said.
G.L. Shekar, principal, National Institute of Engineering, opined that Mysuru was better suited for establishing the IIT.
“Everything cannot be dumped in Bengaluru where land is not easily available. But, around 600 to 800 acres of land can easily be made available within a radius of 25 to 30 km of the city,” he said. The presence of an IIT will help other engineering colleges in the catchment area to shore up their standards and infrastructure facility, Prof. Shekar said.
Prof. Prahallad also drew attention to another factor which will have a bearing on the success of IIT. “The city’s primary and secondary education scenario is witnessing a change with scores of reputed schools having come up in the last few years. This will be a major factor in getting quality staff from across the country to teach at IIT,” Prof. Prahallad said.
There is a general perception that electrified double line track linking to Bengaluru, a four-lane road link to be upgraded to a National Highway, and a functional airport are other factors in Mysuru’s favour.