Cabinet approves the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the following: -

• Introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• Ex-post facto to 21 posts of Directors, one each in 20 IIITs (PPP) and one in IIITDM Kurnool (IIIT-CFTI)
• Ex-post facto to 21 posts of Registrars, one each in 20 IITs (PPP) and one in IIITDM Kurnool (IIT-CFTI)

Impact

The Bill will declare the remaining 5 IIITs-PPP along with the existing 15 Indian Institutes of Information Technology in Public Private Partnership mode as 'Institutions of National Importance' with powers to award degrees. This will entitle them to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) or Master of Technology (M.Tech) or Ph.D degree as issued by a University or Institution of National Importance. It will also enable the Institutes to attract enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology.

Details

• Introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020; for amending the principal Acts of 2014 and 2017
• To grant statutory status to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology in Public Private Partnership mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur and declare them as Institutions of National Importance along with already existing 15 Indian Institutes of Information Technology under the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.

The objective of the approval is for formalization of IIITs at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur. These IIITs are already functioning as Societies registered under Societies Registration Act of 1860. They will now be covered under the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, similar to the other 15 IIITs established under the scheme in PPP mode. Further, IIITDM Kurnool has been established as per the IIIT Act, 2014 and is functioning with the other 4 IIITs namely IIIT Allahabad, IIITM Gwalior, IIITDM Jabalpur, IIITDM Kancheepuram. The post of Director and Registrar in these IIITs are already existing and the present proposal merely formalizes them without any additional financial outgo.

Background

• IIITs are envisaged to promote higher education and research in the field of Information Technology.
• Under the Scheme of Setting up of 20 new IIITs in Public Private Partnership (IIT PPP) mode as approved by the Union Cabinet on 26.11.2010, 15 IIITs are already covered by the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, while remaining 5 IIITs are to be included under the Schedule of the Act.

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.