Official sources told Deccan Herald, fine-tuning of detailed project report was currently on and soon government order issued after which the proposal would be sent to the Centre for formal clearance.
A panel headed by former Infosys HR chief Mohandas Pai will be vetting these proposals, they added. The committee, they said, has suggested that only a consortium of three to five firms be allowed to partner for each IIIT. Both IT and non-IT companies can also be partners. Each industry partner will have to invest at least Rs 2 crore.
Sources said the last date for proposals from various State governments to reach the Centre is May 31, 2011 and expect the Centre’s clearance to the State’s proposal to be through latest by December. The IIIT will become functional by next academic year, they added.
The State’s proposal is in response to 20 IIITs the Centre has proposed to set up in various part of the country in association with respective State governments on private-public partnership model. The capital cost would be shared in the ratio of 50:35:15 by the Centre, state government, and industry partner/s, respectively. The Centre will also provide Rs 50 crore for faculty development programme and meet recurring expenditure upto Rs 10 crore during first four years, after which they will be run on self-sustaining model.
The State project is estimated to cost around Rs 130 crore in the first phase, sources said, adding the government has already earmarked 50 acre of land at Karnatak University campus to house the institute. It will be offering both under-graduate and post-graduate programmes for students.
The proposed IIITs, to be set up in phases over a nine-year period beginning 2011, will conduct national-level entrance test for admission of students.