CHENNAI: The City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) project, which was launched in 28 schools will likely be extended to 15 more schools. Official sources said that Chennai Smart City is seeking an additional Rs 80 crore from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to expand the project.
The CITIIS envisages a complete transformation of selected schools, such as infrastructure, teaching pedagogy, teacher training, sports, etc. It is a multi-dimensional project with niche features.
The decision to extend the CITIIS 1.0, which came to an end on June 30, 2023, was taken after the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs extended the project to June 30, 2024.
The plan to extend the project was to implement the remaining digital and other soft components of the project. The digital infrastructure includes a school management system, campus internet, hi-tech lab and smart boards.
The project already covers 28 schools across 18 campuses. The total project outlay is `95.25 crore, out of which `19.05 crore (20%) is being borne by Chennai Smart City Limited. The remaining is funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) with a commitment of repayment of 50% by the state and centre respectively.
The project is one of the 12 successful project proposals among 65 under the CITIIS Challenge Initiative across India. Meanwhile, the state is exploring the possibility of taking part in CITIIS 2.0 challenge, a four-year programme. The funding for CITIIS 2.0 will include a loan of `1,760 crore from France Development Bank and the German development bank, KfW, and a technical assistance grant of `106 crore from the European Union.