Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As cash-strapped Indian Institute of Technology could not do it on its own, the State government has reportedly come forward to financially help the institute in setting up its proposed satellite campus in Ujjain.
The MP government is in talks with the Ministry of Education for sharing the budget required for setting up satellite campus in the ancient town.
“Once the state’s percentage is decided, the proposal for funding establishment of the satellite campus will be placed before State Cabinet for its approval,” said a senior officer in Department of Higher Education (DHE), Madhya Pradesh.
Additional chief secretary (higher education) Shailendra Singh had visited IIT Indore campus and held talks with institute authorities.
The institute officers told Singh that a budget of Rs 500 crore is required to setup satellite campus in Ujjain.
"There is a loan of about Rs 350 crore on IIT Indore so it can’t establish campus in Ujjain from its resources," added the
Singh told the institute authorities that state government is in talks with officers of Ministry of Education so that the centre and the state could share the budget for establishing the satellite campus.
He, however, stated that the institute would have to run skill-development programmes also from satellite campus so that investing money by the state government in establishment of a central institution can be justified.
According to sources in DHE, the institute agreed to run skill-development courses along with its flagship programme from the Ujjain campus so that skilled workforce for the state can be produced.
Around six months ago, higher education minister Mohan Yadav -- who is an MLA from one of the assembly constituencies in Ujjain -- had revealed that IIT Indore has planned a satellite campus in the ancient town.
The then IIT Indore officiating director Neelesh Kumar Jain had confirmed that the development stating that the satellite campus will start with some PG courses from session 2022-23.
Vikram Vishwavidyalaya was ready to provide space for transit campus of IIT Indore until the institute’s own premises, which is proposed on 100 acres of land at an outlay of Rs 500 crore, is setup.
However, the financial issue cropped up after Suhas Joshi took over as new director.
Later it came to fore that the institute actually is having a loan of Rs 350 crore and it can’t afford to take more loan for setting up satellite campus in Ujjain.
In an email to Free Press, IIT Indore said, “Institute director Joshi is continuously in touch with the Ministry of Education for taking the project ahead. A detailed revised plan is being worked upon to have additional facilities of skill development, outreach activities, industrial set-up, incubation & innovation, etc, which complements the activities of the main campus at Simrol.”
The email further read, “The funding for setting up of the campus is huge and hence requires deliberation, funding from appropriate agencies and detailed planning. The process for this is already on by placing the matter before the institute’s finance committee and the Board of Governors.”
The email also stated that since requisite approval is required for the commencement of the courses, it might be difficult in this forthcoming semester (to start satellite campus in Ujjain).
