MYSURU: The National Institute of Engineering, which is on course to becoming a private university, will have a state-of-the-art campus spread across 50 acres. The new campus is to be built at Tandya Industrial Area near the Mandakalli Airport at a cost of `175 crore.
One of the oldest engineering colleges in the state, NIE’s new campus will aid the expansion of the institute. The state Assembly had cleared the NIE University Bill 2019 in February. The institute is now waiting for final clearance from a committee of government secretaries to become a university.
“Of the Rs 175 crore, Rs 45 crore will be spent on land that is being acquired from KIADB,” D A Prasanna, former vice-chairman of Wipro and Chancellor-designate of the new university, told reporters on Sunday.
“Our aim is to create a university that will rank among the top 10 in the country in 10 years. To achieve this, engineering alone might be inadequate. So we will also have courses on basic sciences, even on the doctoral level.” Prasanna said there were also proposals to have courses in applied sciences and applied arts, including law, journalism, and courses in business management.
They expect the final clearances at the earliest and are looking at enrolling students from the new academic year, starting in August, he said.
“We are awaiting the final nod; if the clearances come through, we have spoken to the authorities to grant permission at the earliest. If we get the go-ahead, we will start enrolling a new batch of students into the university at our own campuses for the time being.”
Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, a board member of NIE, said the university tag will provide the institution with an opportunity to adapt to changing environment and challenges.
Srinath Batni, president of NIE board, said they were planning to complete the construction of the new campus in three years.