The DA-IICT at Gandhinagar represents Wave-4 of educational innovation in Gujarat. The first wave was the nationalist wave and led to Gandhian experiments in
education including Nai Talim. The Gujarat Vidyapith established in 1920 was a hybrid
model of a university based on Gandhian principles. The second wave led to the establishment of a whole range of educational institutions in Gujarat, mainly private collegesThe third wave, an inspired one, was spearheaded by the industrialist Kasturbhai Lalbhai and the scientist Vikram Sarabhai and led to the establishment of a network of national institutes of international renown. A whole array of remarkable intellectuals provided the leadership of these institutes. It was in Wave 4 when the focus shifted to higher
education and private participation. One of the institutes created during this period is DA-IICT. It is a University under the State Act of Gujarat. The DA-IICT was established in Gandhinagar in 2001. It is the only advanced institute named after the Late Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Group.
The Institute has over 900 undergraduate students and 200 postgraduate students, who are selected on the basis of merit. Two hundred and forty students are admitted every year to the B.Tech. programme. Students who are admitted into the Ph.D. programme receive a generous stipend, which is amongst the highest in the country. M.Tech. students also get stipends in lieu of the work they do as Teaching Assistants. The Institute provides online access to major digital libraries, including those of ACM, IEEE, Springer LNCS, JSTOR. The average teaching load for a faculty member is three courses per year. Travel support is available for attending conferences, both national and international. Need-based funding is provided for setting up laboratories and acquiring equipment. The Institute encourages faculty to undertake sponsored research projects. There are several projects at present, which are funded by government agencies and private companies, such as DRDO, Naval Science and Technology Lab, and Mind Tree. There is provision for consulting work for which members can avail one day per week.
Last Updated on: Nov 26, 2024