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Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone of the new building at Jawaharnagar, Shameerpet, about 25 km from here, in the presence of Birla.

The proposed campus in Hyderabad will be the fourth of BITS-Pilani. The main campus is at Pilani in Rajasthan while the other two are at Dubai and Goa. The campuses presently have 18,000 students, including off-campus students.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr KK Birla, noted industrialist and Chancellor of BITS, said he planned to set up an institute of management in Andhra Pradesh on the lines of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), to which the chief minister assured full support from the government.

"After the Hyderabad Campus is completed, we would like to diversify and establish an institute of management on the lines of IIMs. At my age, one may call it a dream. But I hope this dream will turn out to be true," revealed Dr KK Birla.

He said that the Hyderabad Campus of BITS will be a world class campus of high quality replicating all good educational programmes at BITS, Pilani. "The Goa Campus of BITS is regarded, from the angle of architecture and beauty, as the best institute in the country. Our aim will be to make the Hyderabad Campus even superior to the Goa Campus," he further added.

He said that the Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy had invited him way back in October 2005 to set up a campus of BITS, Pilani at Hyderabad. Prior to that many MPs from the state had requested him in this regard.

"You (Rajasekhar Reddy) were so persuasive that I had to accept this challenge of establishing the vast campus in Hyderabad. A challenge it is, as on Sunday, the 18th November 2007, just a few months hence, on the holy festival of Gopashtami connected with Bhagwan Shree Krishna, I shall be entering the 90th year of my life. In spite of my age I have accepted this challenge," he stated amidst loud applause from the crowd.

He said BITS was the only university, which is privately funded by trust/trusts set up by the Birla family. Additionally it also offered scholarships to 22% of students from its own budget. The system attracts the best young minds from the country and, every year, over 20 Board toppers from among the 26 Boards join BITS.

Dr Rajasekhar Reddy profusely thanked Dr Birla for deciding to set up BITS campus at Hyderabad. "It is a dream come true for us," he said and announced waiver of Rs 2.5 - Rs 3 crores that BITS was to pay to Hyderabad Urban Development Authority towards statutory charges. "We assure you from Andhra Pradesh government that we will do everything possible to make your efforts easier," he said.

Referring to Dr Birla`s intent to set up a IIM like B-school, Dr Reddy said he would not like to sound greedy but would request Dr Birla to be benevolent to set up the B-school at Hyderabad or anywhere in Andhra Pradesh. Later, Dr Reddy told media persons that he would offer whatever facilities required for the proposed B-school.

Birla said the proposed institute would be set up in two years and it would also have tie-up with a foreign university.

Talking about the BITS-Pilani campus here, he said it was coming up on 200 acres of land with an investment of Rs.2.8 billion and would be ready by August 2008.

The Hyderabad campus of BITS-Pilani will start offering degrees in engineering and sciences from the 2008-09 academic year and the initial intake would be around 600. Birla said the intake would be doubled each year and the entire institute with full capacity would be ready by 2011.

Having established its name as a premier institute for technical education on par with IITs and having three campuses including one in Dubai, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) is aiming high. BITS-Pilani is a national-level institute for higher education and a deemed university. It is rated as one of the best and among top 10 technical institutes of the country.

SOURCES:
Hindustan Times
Indian eNews

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