NIT-Goa campus work progressing at good pace

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

Director of the National Institute of Technology-Goa (NIT-Goa), Prof Gopal Mugeraya on Friday said that the work towards construction of the new campus of the institute at Cuncolim has already started and would be completed by the end of 2020 as scheduled.

Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’ on Friday, Prof Mugeraya said that the construction of 6.71 km-long compound wall of the campus has been started by the public works department and is estimated to cost Rs 7 crore. “Furthermore, we have got sanction from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development for funds amounting to Rs 496 crore for the main building coming up in phase I of the campus,” he added.

“In fact, yesterday I was in New Delhi and have managed to get all sanctions from the central authorities,” he informed, pointing out that a hillock exists in the new campus, which is about 110 metres above the sea level, and atop it a solar-powered plant would be installed, which is expected to produce around 4 MW electricity enough to take care of the power needs of the institution.

It may be recalled that in December 2018, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had unveiled at his private residence, the plaque of the new NIT-Goa campus.

Stating that two new branches, mechanical engineering and civil engineering have been added to the NIT-Goa, the institute director informed that by next year, the strength of the engineering institute would be increased to 1,200 that is 600 seats for undergraduate students and equal number of seats for post-graduate students.

Speaking further, Dr Mugeraya said that out of the 600 seats for undergraduate students 300 would be reserved for Goa quota.

“And we have already started ‘Each one, teach one’ training programme for mathematics and physics teachers of classes from VIII to X, so that they can adequately prepare their students to answer Joint Entrance Examination for getting admitted not only to NIT-Goa, but also other engineering colleges around the country,” he informed, stating that under this programme, more than 100 high schools around Goa have been contacted and at least 350 such teachers trained.

Coming out with additional information, the NIT-Goa director said that the NIT-Goa campus would include an open well, facilitating rainwater harvesting as also the institution would recycle all its waste. “Furthermore, we are going to plant 1,000 trees within the campus,” he noted.

NIT-Goa is presently operating from its temporary campus at the Goa Engineering College, located at Farmagudi.