Patna: The newly set-up Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in this Bihar city will start its doctoral programmes from next month, an official said on Friday.

"IIT-Patna will become the first among the eight new IITs set up last year to start PhD programmes," institute official Subhash Pandey said.

The IIT will have PhD programmes in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Pandey said that interviews of the applicants are underway and there are 30 vacancies.

At present, the IIT is functioning from a polytechnic building here as a temporary campus. The process of land acquisition for a permanent campus is underway.

The first director of the institute A.K. Bhowmik will also assume charge in July, the official added. IANS