IIIT Laws Amendment Bill Passed in Rajya Sabha, Five More IIITs Declared Institutes of National Importance

The IIIT Laws Amendment Bill seeking the declaration of five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) in Public-Private Partnership mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur as Institutions of National Importance has now been passed in Rajya Sabha.

The institutes have been declared as Institutions of National Importance along with already existing 15 IIITs under the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.

The IIIT Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will entitle the institutions to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of Technology (BTech) or Master of Technology (MTech) or PhD degree as issued by a University or Institution of National Importance.

Union education minister Dr Ramesh Nishank Pokhriyal had earlier said that the Bill will encourage IIITs to promote the study of information and technology in the country through their innovative and quality methods. The Ministry of Education said that while 1060 students will be benefited from this amendment at present, going forward, nearly 5000 students will be benefitted from the move.

The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act of 2014 and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017 are the unique initiatives of the Government of India to impart knowledge in the field of Information Technology to provide solutions to the challenges faced by the country.