Patna, Nov. 10: National Institute of Technology, Patna, is planning to launch courses that would address local requirements, following the advice of President Pranab Mukherjee.

Addressing a two-day conference of National Institute of Technology (NIT) directors in Delhi from November 7, the President had sugg- ested that courses at the 30 tech cradles should be tailored to fit the need of the state in which they have been established.

Following the advice, NIT-Patna is planning to start courses in food processing, agriculture, flood control and water resources.

The director of the institute, Asok De, said: “These course have great potential of attracting students from Bihar.” According to sources at the institute, the board of governors of NIT-Patna will meet soon to decide if students taking these courses would be awarded degrees or diplomas.

The courses on flood control and water resources is important for Bihar, which is ravaged by floods almost every year. At present, civil engineering courses study only a chapter on flood control.

A teacher at the premier institute, Sanjay Kumar, said: “Now, civil engineering students only study a little about flood control and water resources.”

A course on flood control would focus on how to check flood, proper discharge of water in the rivers and retaining the fertility of the soil. “The Punjab and Haryana governments gave much importance to the study of flood control and water resources after the Bhakra Beas Management Board was set up interlinking the rivers in the two northern states. This not only helped control floods but also helped in retaining the fertility of the soil. This is required in Bihar as well,” said NIT teacher Sanjay.

Apart from stressing on launch of courses, President Mukherjee also called upon NITs to usher innovation about a better way of life and develop.