Goa must build trust via consultation to secure a permanent IIT campus
Sunday saw strong opposition to the proposed new site at Farmagudi for the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Braving heavy rain, hundreds of locals gathered at the Katamgal Dada Temple there. Invoking the deity to protect their ‘dev bhoomi’ (sacred land), a group of locals declared the launch of an agitation against the project. Their leaders expressed apprehensions that the project would disturb the religious sanctity and alter the centuries-old socio-cultural-religious landscape associated with the deity, Katamgal Dada. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant yesterday assured that even a small part of the Katamgal Dada area in the vicinity of the campus would not be touched.
Since the central government sanctioned an IIT for Goa in 2014, the state has struggled to proceed with a permanent location, with several sites being considered and subsequently abandoned due to local protests. This has been a decade-long saga of administrative difficulty, characterised by a top-down approach disconnected from the locals. It started with the site identified at Bhagwati Plateau in Loliem, Canacona. The project faced strong opposition from locals, although the panchayat and a section of the people had supported the IIT there. Since then, locals have opposed sites proposed at Cotarli in Sanguem, Melauli in Sattari, Rivona in Sanguem and Codar in Ponda taluka (in 2025). It was clearly brought out in 2016 that the government had failed to discuss the project with locals. Only when the opposition grew did the government make statements about how locals would benefit from the IIT campus in Loliem. It was too late. Apparently, the government’s approach didn’t change after subsequent new sites were identified. Taking the people living in and around the proposed site into confidence was not on the government’s agenda. Just when it looked like the permanent campus would finally come up in Farmagudi, not far from the temporary campus at GEC since 2016, new opposition sprang up.
IITs are not just renowned public institutions for higher learning, primarily in engineering, technology and science. They are much more than that. IITs provide not just world-class technical education and promote cutting-edge research, but they also drive the economic growth of host states and collaborate with industry. Presently, there are 23 IITs in the country. With a full-fledged campus, there is no doubt that Goa would have benefitted immensely from an IIT. However, lack of transparency in governance, a top-down approach, failure to explain the benefits to the state and locals, a trust deficit and local opposition seem to be the factors preventing a permanent IIT campus in the state.
Operating from a temporary (GEC) campus for 10 years has limited the institute’s ability to develop dedicated laboratory facilities, large-scale research centres and other facilities. As a national institute of importance, the IIT would catalyse local innovation. A permanent campus would allow for deeper engagement with local industries, technology incubation and the development of even more specialised courses tailored to Goa’s environment.
The long delay in developing a permanent campus and the latest opposition are a significant loss to the state, impacting its academic reputation, research output, collaboration with industry and ability to fully integrate with the national technology ecosystem. It’s ironic that India’s first IITian Chief Minister – Manohar Parrikar – was from Goa, yet the state still struggles to find a permanent campus for the world-class institute. It remains to be seen how the government will handle the situation.
