Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for Phase-III infrastructure development at IIT Patna on Saturday via virtual mode, in what is being described as a landmark investment in Bihar’s higher education sector. The ceremony will be hosted at Urja Bhawan in Patna and attended by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Bihar’s education minister Sunil Kumar, and state IT minister Santosh Kumar Suman, alongside senior officials and dignitaries.
Ahead of the event, IIT Patna director Prof T.N. Singh and NIT Patna director Prof P.K. Jain briefed the press about the projects, which span 1,26,462 square metres of built-up area with an estimated cost of Rs644.53 crore, funded through the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA).
The expansion includes a Research Park and Central Research Facility, the first of its kind in Bihar and eastern India, designed to connect startups, MSMEs, and researchers. New teaching facilities such as a Centre for Education Technology, Tutorial Building, and Academic Block will enhance academic delivery.
Residential provisions include hostels for 2,000 boys, 500 girls, an international hostel for 250 students, and studio apartments for married students. Faculty and staff housing will also be constructed to strengthen the academic community.
Officials said the development will not only meet IIT Patna’s growing academic and research needs but also help position the institute as a premier hub for innovation in eastern India. Prof Singh described the project as “a significant step in building globally competitive centres of excellence in Bihar.”
