The Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, would introduce two new BTech courses this academic session.

The new branches — chemical and biochemical engineering and civil and environmental engineering — would take the number of courses offered at the institute to five. At present, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna, offers three BTech courses — in computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering.

The two new courses would have 40 seats each. The student intake of IIT-Patna would go up to 230 after the introduction of the two new courses.

Confirming the development, IIT-Patna director A.K. Bhowmick said: “The IIT-Patna would conduct five BTech courses from the academic session starting in July this year.”

The admission process at IIT-Patna would start after the IIT-advanced results are declared on June 23. From June 24, the counselling of students would start.

The IIT administration has completed the process of recruitment of faculty members for the new courses.

The new courses would be conducted on its transit campus in Patliputra Colony.

The introduction of the new courses at IIT-Patna is being considered in the education circle as an attempt of its administration to expand the institution. Last year, the IIT-Patna launched three MTech programmes in mecatonics, nanoscience and nanotechnology, and maths and computing.

The IIT-Patna administration launched them because these are unique programmes and much in demand.

The number of seats in each MTech course is 10. The students are selected on the basis of GATE score, followed by an interview conducted by the IIT-Patna administration.

A senior professor of IIT-Patna, on the condition of anonymity, said more BTech courses would be launched once the institute shifted to its new campus at Bihta.

The construction work of the IIT-Patna campus is going on in full swing. The boundary wall has been erected. It would be coming up on 500 acres of land at Bihta.

Apart from academic block and administrative block, the campus at Bihta would have hostels for students and accommodations facilities for employees.

The new and vibrant IIT campus would have several sports facilities, including separate courts and grounds for soccer, hockey, cricket, volleyball and badminton.