New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab Friday stressed upon increasing the number of Information Technology institutions in the country and advocated for investment in research and development.
While speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Indian Institute of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020, the senior BJD MP said, “India’s engineers have made a lot of impact and we are trying to encourage the private players as well in the IT industry.”
Supporting the Bill, Mahtab said that there is a need to have an appropriate financial plan in place.
“I support The Indian Institute of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill. Our weakness is that we are giving more focus on software and so most of the hardware is imported. When we are increasing the number of institutions now, how much money are you going to give for R&D? We need a better footing,” Mahtab said.
On similar lines, Kendrapara MP Anubhav Mohanty also questioned the Union minister if they had any plans to open a IIIT in Odisha. He suggested that there should be a common syllabus across the country.
The Lok Sabha Friday passed the Indian Institute of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020 that seeks to set up five IIITs under the Public-Private Partnership mode in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala, and Raichur as institutions of national importance. Currently, these institutes are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. On being declared institutions of national importance, the five institutes will possess the power to grant degrees.