Andhra Pradesh

IIT dream turns into reality in State

Yeddumailaram (Medak Dt.): The dream of an IIT in the State turned into reality on Tuesday with the formal launch of the premier institution at the make-shift campus in the Ordnance Factory, 60 km from the State capital, in Medak district.

Excited students, enthusiastic faculty and equally exuberant parents welcomed the launch of the academic programme with thunderous applause at the Seniors Club in the Ordnance Factory, which will initially house the IIT along with staff quarters and student hostels. So far, 102 boys and nine girls took admission in the three engineering branches – mechanical, electrical and computer science, which would be offered initially.

Satyam Computers Founder Chairman Ramalinga Raju inaugurated the programme in the presence of M.S. Ananth, Director, IIT Madras, and Mentor Director for IIT Hyderabad.

Mr. Raju welcomed the students into the new institute stating that the technological revolution had created enormous opportunities and they should grab these with both hands. He reminded them that innovations and inventions have changed the world and paved way for the creation of enormous wealth. Taking the example of the huge success of 108 services, he said that what the US had done in 40 years through its 911 services, Andhra Pradesh had done it in two years. “It shows we have the talent and it needs to be exploited setting high objectives.”

Prof. M.S. Ananth said the new institute would function on a par with other IITs. He said academic facilities like laboratories and workshops had been created with state-of-the-art equipment. He wanted the value system of the IITs to be preserved and felt that new IITs should keep away from publicity. Piyush Kumar, Medak Collector, promised that the new campus at Kandi would come up in two years. L. Premchandra Reddy, Commissioner, Technical Education and R.S. Sodhi, General Manager, Ordnance Factory also shared the dais.

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