Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stones for Academic Block-103 and Girls Hostel-50B at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi during a ceremony attended by senior ministry officials, the institute director, faculty, staff and students. The minister said the projects form part of efforts to strengthen campus infrastructure and student accommodation. Academic Block-103 will be IIT Delhi's first 10-storey academic building with two basement levels and will rise to a height of 36.75 metres. The built-up area is approximately 0.5 million (0.5 mn) square feet and the facility will include 31 classrooms and lecture theatres, 150 research laboratories, 150 faculty offices and conference rooms. The building will also house the Educational Technology Services Centre and will provide space for a cafeteria, banking facilities and other essential amenities. The new Girls Hostel-50B is designed in a B+G+12 configuration with a built-up area of approximately 0.39 million (0.39 mn) square feet and will provide accommodation for 1,400 students. The hostel will feature double-occupancy rooms with built-in cupboards, study tables, universal charging points and a dining hall. Both projects are targeting four-star GRIHA certification and will incorporate rooftop solar panels, passive design strategies, rainwater harvesting systems, landscaped public spaces and low-VOC materials to enhance sustainability. The sustainability measures are intended to improve energy efficiency and to promote water conservation across the campus. Planning and execution will preserve the existing site ecology and all trees on the site, thereby removing the need for tree felling permissions. The projects will be executed at a budget of Rs. 4.3 billion (Rs. 4.3 bn) and will be supported through various schemes of the Government of India. The minister added that the infrastructure additions were expected to enrich campus life and provide more opportunities to pursue academic and research endeavours.