Patna: It's official now. Bihar's dream of setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is set to become a reality on Aug 6. Classes will begin from the next day.

Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh is scheduled to inaugurate IIT Patna here on Aug 6. The institute will operate out of a temporary campus this year.

"The formal functioning of IIT Patna is all set to start with classes on Aug 7," said dean of IIT Patna Samrendra Dandpat.

IIT Patna is one of the six new IITs being set up in the country.

Dandpat told sources here on Saturday that all the 109 selected students would attend classes from next week. "We will register the selected students on Aug 6 and classes will begin from next day," he said.

Dandpat said that preparation for setting up laboratories, hostels and classrooms were in the final stage. " IIT Patna will function from the polytechnic premises here now," he added.

Earlier this year the state science and technology department had identified the polytechnic in Patna for setting up the IIT campus. The polytechnic has two hostels and a new building, which can accommodate around 200 students.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had shown keen interest in setting up IIT Patna, visited the temporary premises of the institute on Friday. Kumar said that IIT Patna will function from here for the next two to three years until its own building comes up.

The Bihar government has identified the a site for the campus close to the state capital here. IANS