IITs, NITs to adopt National Highway stretches to study use of new tech

The IITs, NITs and other reputed technology institutions across the country will now adopt stretches of the National Highway on voluntary basis and their faculties, researchers and students will use them as a field of study of the latest industry trends, according to Education Ministry officials.

The partner institutes will study improvement prospects in safety, maintenance, riding comfort, removal of congestion points and usage of new technologies on the adopted stretches and give suitable suggestions to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for consideration.

"The institutes will also associate with the NHAI during conceptualisation, design and project preparation of new projects and suggest the relevant parameters and innovations based on experience specific to the site climate, topography and resource potential for better socio-economic outcome," a senior ministry official said.

The NHAI will offer internship to 20 UG and 20 PG students of the institutes per year. Duration of internship shall be two months per student. The internship will be at a remuneration of ₹8,000 for undergraduate students and Rs. 15,000 per month for postgraduate students.

"This initiative will also instil a sense of contribution in building local infrastructure among the student fraternity. NHAI will support the creation of lab infrastructure in the institute and may sponsor relevant research project that helps in using alternative resource material and improving quality of roads," the official said.

So far, 18 IITs, 26 NITs and 190 other reputed engineering colleges have opted for the scheme. Appropriate MOUs are being signed between the technology institutes and NHAI for the adopted stretches and so far about 200 institutes have already signed the MOU for implementation of the scheme.

It is expected that more than 300 institutes offering civil engineering UG and PG courses will adopt the highway stretches all over the country, the official added.

"IITs, NITs and reputed technical institutes across the country, other AICTE approved engineering colleges, have associated with the NHAI to adopt nearby stretches of the National Highway on voluntary basis. The adopted stretches will be used as a field of study for the faculty, researchers and familiarise students of the institute with the latest trends in industry," the official said.

"The partner institutes will study improvement prospects in safety, maintenance, riding comfort, removal of congestion points and usages of new technologies etc. on the adopted stretches and give suitable suggestions to NHAI for consideration," the official added.