An Essay on IIT Bhubaneswar : Why pick it over IIT Patna, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Rajasthan, IIT Hyderabad and IIT Punjab

June 6th, 2008

Following is from the pages of IIT Bhubaneswar information web site (set up by us well-wishers of IIT Bhubaneswar).

A brand new Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is currently being established in Bhubaneswar, the vibrant, modern, capital city of Orissa. It is among the six new IITs that are scheduled to start classes this year. (The others are: IIT Hyderabad, IIT Patna, IIT Rajasthan, IIT Punjab and IIT Gandhinagar.) Bhubaneswar IIT is uniquely placed to become one of India’s top IITs within a decade.

This fledging institution will be the heart of Bhubaneswar, a burgeoning, modern city in eastern India with a population of 16.36 lakhs. It has all the amenities of a world-class metropolis: wide roads, luxury hotels, malls, restaurants, clubs, bookshops, museums, gardens, water parks and fountains. A picturesque city with boulevards, gardens and fountains, Bhubaneswar seems to have it all, minus the traffic, water problems, power cuts and the mega slums that dot most cities of India. It is well connected to the rest of the country by air, rail, and road.

Orissa’s famed temples dot the landscape, and world famous attractions such as UNESCO world heritage site Konark, Puri beach, and Chilika lake and bird sanctuary are only an hour away. Bhubaneswar is one of India’s major tourist hubs with history and geography right by its side. The Rock edicts of Ashoka are at one end of the city in Dhauli, right by the Daya river, while the picturesque Chandaka-Dampara sanctuary, as big as Bhubaneswar itself, lies adjacent on the west bordering the mighty Mahanadi. To the north is the garden of the Gods, Nandankanan, and the Kathjodi river, separating Bhubaneswar from its twin, the millennium city of Cuttack.

With all major Indian software firms such as Infosys, Satyam, TCS, Wipro, Mindtree and Hexaware setting shop here, Bhubaneswar is also the eastern India’s IT hub. It is the East Coast Railway (ECOR) HQ and has headquarters of various private and public sector companies such as Navaratna NALCO, POSCO-India and Dhamara Port Company Ltd. Four major industrial clusters are about 100 kms from Bhubaneswar in each of the four directions: Kalinganagar to the North, Paradeep to the east, Chhatrapur to the South and Angul-Talcher to the west. With Orissa leading the country in investment, bagging 30 percent of the total investment in India in the last quarter (fourth quarter of 2007-08), mainly in the industrial and infrastructure sector, Bhubaneswar is abuzz with optimism.

Yet what sets Bhubaneswar apart is its rise to prominence as India’s foremost knowledge hub. The metropolitan area is already home to Utkal University, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Ravenshaw University, Utkal University of Culture, KIIT Deemed University, Siksha `O’ Anusandhan deemed University, Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), and an International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT). Existing research institutions in the Bhubaneswar metropolitan area include the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Life Sciences, the Institute of Mathematics and Applications, the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, the Central Rice Research Institute, the Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture, and the Regional Medical Research Center.

Several national level institutes have recently been established or are being established in Bhubaneswar. Besides IIT Bhubaneswar, they include the National Institute of Science, Education and Research (NISER), which is equivalent to the IISERs but funded by the DAE, and which is currently admitting its second batch of students, an AIIMS-like institute, and a centrally funded World Class Central University (WCCU). At present Bhubaneswar is the only city in India that is scheduled to have an IIT, a science institute (NISER) and a WCCU; a IIIT and an AIIMS-like institute are additional pluses. In addition, the Anil Agarwal foundation is establishing Vedanta University in Puri, which is about 40 kms from the outer edges of Bhubaneswar. It has a budget of $3 Billion (Rs. 12,000 crores) and includes a personal pledged donation of $1 Billion (Rs 4,000 crores) by Mr. Anil Agarwal. Vedanta University is envisioned to be India’s answer to Stanford and Harvard. Other universities that are coming up in the Bhubaneswar area include ICFAI University, Sri Sri University, National Law University and Orissa Open University. At the college level, the Bhubaneswar area has 30+ engineering colleges with another 20+ in the pipeline and four existing medical colleges (SCB, KIIT, SUM, Hi-Tech) with several more in the pipeline.

IIT Bhubaneswar will admit students in three disciplines in 2008: civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. In case one may wonder, why civil engineering, instead of computer science that four of the other new IITs are having, one just needs to think of China and Beijing and imagine how far India has to go in terms of infrastructure development and the role of civil engineers in that development. This interview with Anil Agarwal is illuminating in that respect. (He also talks about his vision of Vedanta University.)

IIT Bhubaneswar students will be housed in IIT Kharagpur for the first year, which will act as the mentoring institution of IIT Bhubaneswar for a period of three years. During their stay these students will gain exposure to the established academic and cultural environment of the largest and oldest IIT, which they will carry home to IIT Bhubaneswar.

The Orissa government is extremely supportive of IIT Bhubaneswar and has committed to provide 1000 acres of land so as to accommodate future growth of this IIT. The 1000 acres is double the 500 acres required by the central government, and double the size of the other new IITs. Thus IIT Bhubaneswar will be the second largest IIT, after IIT Kharagpur. With the inherent advantages in terms of its location in the midst of rivers, forests and sanctuaries; as the heart of a rapidly growing and industrializing city and state; surrounded and to be driven to excellence by the competition from NISER, WCCU and Vedanta University; and a supportive state government that has put Bhubaneswar in the path of making it the knowledge-hub of the country; IIT Bhubaneswar holds the promise of being the best among the new IITs and becoming one of India’s top five IITs within a few years!

Entry Filed under: Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri- Khurda area (1),IIT Bhubaneswar,IITs, IISc, IISERs, NISER, IIMs

10 Writeup

  • 1. Gyan Patra  |  June 6th, 2008 at 9:16 pm

    Chitta Bhai:

    You forgot the ICICI bank setting up the largest BPO center in BBSR which will house approx 10000 people. Aricent ( former Flextronics – Hughes Software) setting up a division for 3000 plus people plus their national training center near Puri which will provide training just in the line of Infosys in Mysore and Cochin – as their global training centers.

    By the same time Raheja, DLF and Unitech for their IT parks. Raheja, Unitech and DLF are one of the largest builders of India who have a huge presence in almost all the metros. Particularly Raheja in Mumbai-Bangalore, DLF and Unitech in Delhi NCR and (mostly North India)

    Its also coincident that Infosys announcement for additional 500 Crores – linked to the announcement of IIT BBSR.

    Looks like, if this stride goes in this way with willful implemetation, BBSR and Orissa in whole will be one of the top 5 states close to Gujrat-Tamilnadu by 2020.

  • 2. Chitta Baral  |  June 6th, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    Thanks for reminding. We will add them in the detailed pages. If you want to help send me an email.

  • 3. sanjaysahoo  |  June 7th, 2008 at 9:31 am

    yes

  • 4. R. K. Ghosh  |  June 7th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    Easy is fine. But I think an faq for students seeking admission to IITs about advantage of picking IITBh over other IITs could be very important at this stage. Rather than focusing on mentoring IIT, the faq should try to give glimpses of the roadmap for IITBh.

  • 5. Digambara  |  June 7th, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    IIT Himachal may also start from this academic, it seems IIT Bomnay has shown inability to mentor two IIT, otherwise IIT MP may also start from this year.
    http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080607/jsp/nation/story_9377593.jsp

    Coming all 8 IIT together would bring a healthy competition.

  • 6. Abhishek Tripathy  |  June 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

    The IIT-Bs / IIT-Bh (Though Bh sounds a we bit close to Benaras Hindu than Bhubaneswar!!) could not have come at a better juncture in time……..N goes without saying, is indeed a matter of pride for all of us here…………
    Ya, NISER, WCCU, IIIT-B n Vedanta Univ will form a formidable support quad of sorts to bolster the already strong research fundamentals of the IIT brand………………….
    What we should also not miss out on is the National Law School patterned Univ coming up at Naraj, Cuttack which could have a tremendous impact by way of research n collaboration on areas like Intellectual Property Rights, Space Law, Information Technology Law, Biotechnology Law amongst a host of other legal areas which concur with the relentless march of technology today ………………..
    For example, IIT-Kgp has strated off with the School of Intell. Prop Rights….its professors and professors of our law school in Calcutta (NUJS) interact on a regular basis which leads to a gr8 stimulus between the 2 ‘Centres of Excellence’ located in close proximity to each other…………. besides, interaction between the students through Seminars and Moot Courts are a definite boost to the creative synergies between the 2 ………
    NLU,O (Naraj) should be so evolved by the concerned stake holders (BCI, State Government, Centre) that it functions in association with the other niche instis in the vicinity…………….

  • 7. Abhishek Tripathy  |  June 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pm

    Chitta Sir, I think the ‘WHY IIT-B ABOVE IIT AT OTHER PLACES’ post should surely bring in the National Law School factor as I have pointed out above……coz, IIT Hyd will have that advantage with NALSAR there …Microsoft has a scholarship scheme to fund Intell. Prop activities for its students……….
    Rajasthan has the NLU-Jodhpur,
    Punjab :Rajiv Gandhi NLU,
    Gujarat : GNLU,
    M.P. : NLIU, Bhopal,
    Bihar : Chankya NLU, Patna
    Kerala : NUALS, Cochin (IIST, IISER n IIEST coming up in a while )
    Besides, National Law Schools STATES WHERE IITs EXISIT :
    at
    West Bengal : The National UNiversity of Juridical Sciences(NUJS), Kolkata
    (Aslo coming up IISER, IIIT, IIT Kgp satellite campus at Salt Lake-Rjarhat area in the immediate neighbourhood of NUJS, besides, an IIEST n existing )
    Krnataka : The National Law School of India University(NLSIU) , Bangalore (Though not IIT but IISc, b’LORE amongst host of other instis.)

  • 8. Abhishek Tripathy  |  June 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pm

    Chitta Sir, I think the ‘WHY IIT-B ABOVE IIT AT OTHER PLACES’ post should surely bring in the National Law School factor as I have pointed out above……coz, IIT Hyd will have that advantage with NALSAR there …Microsoft has a scholarship scheme to fund Intell. Prop activities for its students……….
    Rajasthan has the NLU-Jodhpur,
    Punjab :Rajiv Gandhi NLU-Patiala
    Gujarat : GNLU- Gandhinagar
    M.P. : NLIU-Bhopal,
    Bihar : Chankya NLU- Patna
    Kerala : NUALS- Cochin (IIST, IISER n IIEST coming up in a while )
    Besides, National Law Schools in STATES WHERE IITs/ Other ‘Centres of Excellence’ EXISIT :
    at
    West Bengal : The National UNiversity of Juridical Sciences(NUJS), Kolkata
    (Aslo coming up IISER, IIIT, IIT Kgp satellite campus at Salt Lake-Rjarhat area in the immediate neighbourhood of NUJS, besides, an IIEST n existing IIM -K )
    Krnataka : The National Law School of India University(NLSIU) , Bangalore (Though not IIT but IISc, b’LORE amongst host of other instis.)

    Delhi : National Law Scool of dELHI ( NLS-D), Delhi which starts from 2008 itself

    I see no reason why NLU,O should not start immediately …..2008 acad season is almost at a close…CLAT (lAW cOMMON Admission Test ) is over n results r out alredy with admissions at NUJS over n NLSIU n NALSAR in the offing……………We should not let this critical development pass by us while celebrating other Niche instis in our city………
    NLU, O is special coz after NUJS n NLSIU, it is going to be the only other law school (as per NewsPaper Reports) with the Chief Justice of India as its acting Vice Chancellor (Though NUJS n NLSIU have the CJ,I as their Chancellor) n has a locational advantage as it is goin to b set up in a very close proximity to the other instis comin up unlike a few other law schools which, though in the same state, are far apart………….

  • 9. Abhishek Tripathy  |  June 8th, 2008 at 12:44 pm

    CLARIFICATIONS TO THE ABOVE POST :
    In the penultimate line, with regard to the Vice Chancellor of NLU, O, the CJI, is to hold the post of acting Chancellor and not the Vice Chancellor as has been posted…the typographical error is regretted on my part…..
    Abhishek Tripathy.
    IIIrd Year,
    The National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata

  • 10. Dwaipayan Pattanaik  |  June 13th, 2008 at 12:08 am

    Going through the essay and comments of Chitta Baral, Gyan Patra, Abhishek Tripathy and all others I can feel the concern in them for our Odisha. Its nice that such awareness has come in the state and the people, for which pressure could be built upon the centre. But there are many more aspects which have to be jointly fought for. First, let’s take the infrastructure of connectivity. Some of them are:
    1)- The world class railway station earlier proposed at Bhubaneswar now being planned to be shifted.
    2)- The proposal for the Inernational Airport at Bhubaneswar has been shelved.
    3)- Flights to places like Bangkok, Singapore, Australia, Port Blaire etc. should be through Bhubaneswar.
    4)- Linking of far off places in the State like Jeypore, Bolangir, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Joda etc, which have air strips nearby with State capital and other places through air.
    5)- Construction of National highway to farthest places like Motu in Malkangiri, Chandaneswar in Baleswar, Umarkote in Nawarangpur, and Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj.
    6)- Extension of Railways to all district headqurters and tourist places. It will surprise any other average state that in Orissa 50% of the district headquarters (in 15 Districts), namely – Malkangiri, Nawarangpur, Bhabanipatna, Nuapada, Baragarh, Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Paralakhemundi (has an obsolete narrow gauge), Kendrapara, Deogarh, Sonepur, Phulbani, Nayagarh, Boudh, and Jajpur do not have Railway link.
    7)- The amount Centre has spent for Kolkata and Haldia Ports and their road and rail connectivity, could have made 10 world class ports between Baleswar to Brahmapur with no problem of surface transport link.
    8)- Metro Railway in Kolkata was built at a cost of thousands of crores from the profit of Railways from Orissa and Jharkhand. Now its time Orissa demands a full fledged RAPID TRANSPORT SYSTEM in the twin city of BBSR and CTC.


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