Bangalore: Soon, the Silicon Valley – Bangalore, is going to get a university devoted to the study of urbanization and settlement issues, according to the announcement made by its promoters, which include IT icons and leading industrialists. It would be the first-of-its-kind University of the Nation, solely devoted to the study of urbanization and related issues, the privately-funded initiative is being set up by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS).
As per sources, the IIHS promoters include IT icon Nandan Nilekani, a founder of Infosys and now head of India's Unique Identification Number project, industrialists Keshub Mahindra, Jamshyd Godrej, management experts Xerxes Desai and Deepak Parekh and former Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan. An IIHS statement said it has been started to create India's first independent National Innovation University focused on the challenges and opportunities of its urbanization.
IIHS Director Aromar Revi, a consultant on urbanization, said that the plan is to offer a four-year Bachelors degree in Urban Practice, and a two-year Masters degree in Urban Practice courses. The Masters programme would begin from next year. Also, a two-year doctoral programme would commence from 2013, and thereafter the Bachelors degree course. He further added that while the Karnataka government was keen to have the university in Bangalore, the promoters were also looking at Mumbai, Hyderabad and the National Capital Region.
