Kerala is all set to get a one-of-a-kind set-up that promises to revolutionise Information Technology education

THE Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kerala, due to be set up at Valavoor near Pala, is anticipated to generate human resources well equipped in the field and convert Kottayam into an “education hub” in the years to come. The other proposed centres include the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Kerala Science City and the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology.
The IIIT, Kerala, which will be constructed on a 55-acre plot, is one of 20 institutions proposed to be recognised by the Union ministry of human resource development, and will contribute notably to global competition by focusing on applied research and IT education. Member of Parliament Jose K Mani said it would be implemented under the Not-for-profit Public Private Partnership model. It will be registered as a charitable society and the surplus, after meeting the expenditure, will be used only for its development. Financial self-reliance will be achieved within five years, through reasonable fees as well as a productive use of intellectual resources and infrastructure in patent licensing consultancy, sponsored projects, and industry and alumni sponsorship.
Technopark&’s chief executive officer KG Girish Babu, who also happens to  be special officer, IIIT, Kerala, said efforts were being made to commence programmes from the next academic year. Although the construction of the institute would take around 24 months, it could become fully operational in around eight years.
It has been decided to conduct BTech and MTech courses in various specialisations, apart from MSc, MPhil and PhD courses. The intake to undergraduate programmes will be restricted and research will be given key focus in the curriculum. Admissions for undergraduate programmes will be conducted through a centralised examination process. And there will be no departments, just centres of excellence in research.
The laboratories will focus on the various aspects of IT and Information and Communications Technology. A probable list of areas in which these laboratories could focus include cognitive sciences, social informatics and new media, sports informatics, mechatronics and entertainment informatics, legal studies and forensic informatics, visual informatics, computer science, computer engineering and avionics. Basic sciences will also be integrated.
Another notable proposal is that the campus will be constructed without unnecessary deforestation. Attempts would be made to replant trees felled to allow for infrastructural development. The campus aims to have a green cover and use electric vehicles to cut down on pollution. Solar and wind energy will be harnessed and used wherever possible, a project report stated.
Regarding the governance structure of the IIIT, it will be run as a deemed university, amalgamating researchers, administrative and academic bodies. It will be led by a director who is an eminent researcher and scholar (name undisclosed). The governing council will consist of representatives from the Central and state governments, researchers and students of the institute, experts nominated from industry, other academic institutions and professional societies.
An executive committee comprising members nominated from the governing council and an academic council consisting of researchers and scholars in different fields related to informatics and industry will form the rest of the organisational structure of the institution.