Union Cabinet Approves Expansion Plan for Five IITs

On 7th May 2025, the Union Cabinet approved Rs. 11,828.79 crore expansion plan for five newer Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)—Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, and Dharwad—to be implemented from 2025-26 to 2028-29.

Key Points

Phase-B Construction: Aimed at enhancing academic and infrastructure capacities of the five IITs, which were established after 2014.
New Faculty Posts: Sanction of 130 professor-level (Level 14 and above) positions to support academic growth.
Research Parks: Five state-of-the-art research parks to boost industry-academia collaboration and innovation.
Student Intake Expansion: Total student strength will rise from 7,111 to 13,687—an increase of 6,576 over four years.
Phased Growth: Student intake to rise annually by 1,364 (Year 1), 1,738 (Year 2), 1,767 (Year 3), and 1,707 (Year 4).
Economic Stimulus: Expansion expected to generate employment and boost regional economies through increased demand for services.
Permanent Campuses: All five IITs, initially launched on temporary campuses, now operate from permanent sites.