Cabinet Clears Rs 118.28 Billion Expansion for 5 IITs

08 May 2025 CW Team

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the expansion of academic and infrastructure capacity at five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) — Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, and Dharwad — with a total investment of Rs 118.28 billion to be spent over four years from 2025–26 to 2028–29.

The expansion will increase student intake by over 6,500, boosting total capacity from 7,111 to 13,687 students across undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs. The move includes Phase-B construction, enhanced facilities, and the creation of 130 faculty positions at the Professor level (Level 14 and above).

To further bolster industry-academia collaboration, five new state-of-the-art research parks will be set up — one at each of the expanding IITs — aimed at promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrial research partnerships.

The initiative is expected to significantly boost employment through faculty and staff recruitment and indirectly stimulate local economies via increased demand for services and infrastructure. The expansion aligns with the Budget 2025–26 announcement, which noted a 100% rise in total IIT student strength in the last decade — from 65,000 to 135,000—and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening higher education in India.

These five IITs, established post-2014 and now operating from their permanent campuses, will play a vital role in enhancing access to quality technical education nationwide and contribute to India’s innovation-driven growth.

(PIB)

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

Mizoram To Build Rs 139 Billion Pumped Storage Power Plant

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday announced plans to construct a 2,400 MW pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Hnahthial district, marking a major step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency in the state. Addressing the Mizo Students’ Union general conference in Hnahthial town, the Chief Minister said the plant would be developed across the Darzo Nallah, a tributary of the Tuipui river. Once operational, the project is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting Mizoram’s rising electricity demand and reducing dependence on imported power. Officials from the State Power..

Centre Plans Nationwide Opening Of Power Retail Market

India is preparing to open up its retail electricity market to private companies nationwide, effectively ending the long-standing monopoly of state-run power distributors in most regions, according to a draft bill released by the Union Power Ministry on Friday. The move will enable major private sector players — including Adani Enterprises, Tata Power, Torrent Power, and CESC — to expand their presence across the country’s electricity distribution landscape. A similar reform attempt in 2022 had faced strong opposition from state-run distribution companies (discoms), which currently dom..

CEA Sets 100 GW Nuclear Target For India By 2047

In a landmark step marking its 52nd Foundation Day, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) unveiled an ambitious roadmap to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2047, aligning with India’s long-term Net-Zero commitment and energy security objectives. The event, held at the Central Water Commission auditorium in New Delhi’s R.K. Puram, was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, who served as the Chief Guest. The roadmap sets out a detailed plan to expand India’s nuclear capacity from its current level of approximately 8,180 MW as of early 2025, outl..