Lok Sabha Passes Indian Institutes Of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill

Lok Sabha passed the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in New Delhi today. 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.

Introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will amend the principal acts of 2014 and 2017. It will 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;

Speaking after the passing of the Bill, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ thanked the Members of the House for their support in passing the Bill. Shri Pokhriyal 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 Minister said that 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.

The Minister said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian institutions are performing well in the global institutional rankings and he hoped that in future all these IIITs will also make a mark  in the world's top institutions. He informed that among the higher education institutions in the country, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have improved their global rankings significantly. There are now 24 Indian higher education institutes in the QS list of 1000 global institutes in 2020 against 14 in 2017. Similarly, there are now 36 Indian higher education institutes in Times Higher Education (THE) global 1000 institutes against 3 in 2013.

He assured that with this step, all these institutions will be able to spread the information related to information and technology in the country in a better way.

Pokhriyal informed that this Bill 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, he added.