NIT Jamshedpur will play host to the second batch of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT).

The batch size for the two IIIT courses - computer science engineering (CSE) and electronics and communications engineering (ECE) - will also get doubled to 120 from the next academic session beginning July.

Confirming the development, NIT spokesperson Deepak Chourasia said the new campus for IIIT was yet to come up at Sanga village on the Ranchi-Patratu Road. Therefore, the Union HRD ministry decided to host the second batch at the Adityapur-based NIT campus itself.

In January last year, the HRD ministry had selected NIT Jamshedpur to temporarily host the first batch of the IIIT students till a new campus came up.

NIT, which was declared as a mentoring institute for the IIIT, was found to be more suitable to conduct the courses as it already had the infrastructure. NIT director Rambabu Kodali was also appointed as the mentor director of IIIT-Ranchi.

Ranchi-based National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), was also in the race to host the prestigious IIIT courses, but lost the chance.

"Currently, the batch size in both the courses is 30 each (making a total of 60). But, from the next academic session commencing in July, the batch size in each of the courses will become 60. So, the total batch size will increase to 120 from 60," Chourasia told The Telegraph on Thursday.

Candidates who clear the Joint Entrance Examination can opt for the IIIT courses.

The spokesperson for the tech cradle said the number of seats would increase to 90 in each of the courses once the IIIT-Ranchi got a permanent campus.

The IIIT is a four-year BTech course divided into eight semesters.

Last year, the HRD ministry had taken the initiative to set up 20 IIITs on a PPP (public-private partnership) model across the country.

Sources said the NIT might appoint visiting professors and temporary faculty to cater to the growing batch size.