IIIT to set to enroll first batch students in January

By Ratikant Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, Dec. 24: International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) is all set to enroll its first batch of students from the coming session beginning January, 2008.
At least 25 students will be selected after a national screening to get admission into the self-financing two-year M.Tech programme in computer and science in engineering.
"All preparations have been made for admission of the students for the first batch of the M.Tech course. Advertisements will be made in national dailies shortly to invite applications from the students," state science and technology minister Suryanaryan Patra said on Monday.
The IIIT – for the time being – will function from the Orissa Computer Application Centre (OCAC) campus near Acharya Vihar in the city. At least 10,000 square feet space has been allotted in the OCAC building for the institute. After completion of its own building at Gothapatna, on the outskirt of the city in a stipulated two years period, admissions will be made for other M.Tech and B.Tech programmes, Mr Patra informed.
Professor Somanth Mohapatra and Anjali Mohapatra have been appointed as the permanent faculty for the course while professor Gopalkrushna Nayak has been the taken as the director.
At least seven eminent Indians working in various universities in the USA have consented to attend the IIIT as guest faculties. The guest faculties are Jaydev Mishra, Chitta Baral, L.N. Bhuyan, Durga Mishra, Prasant Mohapatra, Gautam Das, Rabi Mohapatra.
Besides, Infosys Tehnologies Limited has contributed Rs 1 crore for instituting a chair professor. The minister informed that the state government appealed other major IT players such as Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, MindTree and Satyam to offer for similar chair professors in IIIT.
"The state government has allotted 23.24 acres of prime land free of cost at Gothapatna and committed Rs 10 crore towards start of capital expenses and a recurring annual grant of Rs 2 crore for the three years. The departmentally related standing committee of the Orissa Legislative Assembly has also recommended for a provision of further Rs 40 crore for this institute," Mr Patra informed.