Shillong, June 09: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Meghalaya will shift to its permanent campus at Sohra by 2019.

Speaking to reporters here, NIT Meghalaya director, Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal said that shifting of the institute from Shillong to Sohra is expected by July 2019.

NIT Meghalaya is one among the 31 NITs in the country functioning from a temporary campus and old campus of North Eastern Hill University, Bijni Complex here.

The foundation stone of NIT Meghalaya at Sohra was laid by then Union minister for IT and human resource development, Kapil Sibal in October, 2012. Land about 300 acres was allotted for setting up of the permanent campus of NIT Meghalaya. The institute has around 1,100 students including passed outs, 72 staff and nine departments which include, five engineering departments, three science departments besides humanities and social science department.

Biswal said that by 2021, NIT Meghalaya would increase its capacity to 1,260 seats from the present capacity of 1,100 students where 50 per cent of seats for home state students, and 50 per cent from other states.

The Director said that NIT Meghalaya was emphasising to promote technical education in the state by adopting schools and colleges, creating of skill development centre for young and unemployed people open a centre for tribal studies, impart education and carry out research in technology related domains, remove social and psychological barriers by providing need-based and affordable education in different disciplines.

He also stressed the need to promote entrepreneurship and create atmosphere for innovative start-ups, and work to make the NIT Meghalaya a preferred destination for technological education and research, besides providing state-of-the-art infrastructure for all stake holders, and promote industry-institute interactions.