Stressing the need for research and innovation, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar called upon students to strive for excellence and innovate while inaugurating Chhattisgarh’s first IIT campus. Javadekar also said that Indians have always contributed to the evolution of valuable technological and IT solutions that have been invented around the world.

He further emphasized the prominence that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives to research and innovation as these two are essential for the development of the nation. He also talked about the programs that have been introduced to promote research in various fields.

• Indian Institute of Technology, Bhilai, has been inaugurated at its provisional campus at the Government Engineering College, Raipur.  that research projects can be started by students at any premises and that government will support innovative ideas.

• Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh a said that with the establishment of IIT, the state will progress even more as it is a huge leap in the field of higher education.

• The IIT Bhilai is the 23^rd investment among the premier Indian Institutes of Technology present in India. Among the courses offered are Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering whereas Mine Engineering course will be offered from the session 2018-2019.

• The plan for an IIT at Bhilai was proposed in 2007. Up to 325 acres of land for the institute was provided by the Steel Authority of India Limited from its Bhilai Steel Plant. 118 students have been admitted to the institute in 2016. The institute will function under the umbrella of IIT Hyderabad.