New Delhi: As plans to set up eight more Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) get going, IIT Gandhinagar will open on Aug 2 with three specialisation subjects and 103 students.

To start operations from the Vishawkarma Government Engineering College (VGEC) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the new IIT will get able guidance and study aide from IIT Bombay that last week celebrated its golden jubilee.

The classes for the four-year B. Tech courses in chemical engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering will commence with an orientation programme on Aug 2.

According to the authorities at IIT Bombay, which is the mentor of IIT Gandhinagar, there are 31 students in chemical engineering, 37 in electrical engineering and 35 in mechanical engineering.

"On arrival at VGEC, Gandhinagar, students will be provided with residential and other facilities at a temporary location," an IIT Bombay official told sources on phone.

All students will be accommodated in one building complex and a faculty member will manage it.

The academic programmes will be conducted by deputed faculty members from IIT Bombay and by hiring new faculty members. But there are not enough laboratories of IIT standard to support the study.

The authorities said laboratories for first year students are in place and the "remaining teaching laboratories will be developed as per course demands and requirements".

Initially, IIT Gandhinagar will have a small library, a gym and a temporary medical centre. All students will be insured against accidents.

IIT Bombay authorities said for the first semester, students of IIT Gandhinagar will have to pay Rs.25,376 but students from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe will only pay Rs.7,376. For the time being, the new IIT's account will be managed by IIT Bombay.

India currently has seven IITs, known to be premier engineering institutes. In order to give a major boost to higher education, the central government has promised to set up eight new IITs, of which six will start operations this year. IIT Gandhinagar will be the first of the new lot.

Reiterating his commitment to higher education, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the "objective is to expand the gross enrolment ratio in higher education from 11.6 percent to 15 percent by the end of the 11th (Five-Year) Plan and to 21 percent by the end of the 12th Plan". IANS