Thu Feb 20 14:17:31 UTC 2025: ## IIT Palakkad’s Growth Stalled by Construction Dispute

**Palakkad, Kerala – February 20, 2025** – The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Palakkad, a leading engineering institute in Kerala, is facing a significant setback due to a protracted legal dispute halting the construction of crucial academic buildings. The dispute, between a construction contractor and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), has lasted a year, leaving several partially completed buildings and imported lab equipment languishing unused.

The CPWD terminated the contract with the contractor last year due to substantial delays, exacerbated but not solely caused by COVID-19 lockdowns. This has significantly impacted the institute’s growth, preventing the launch of planned new programs in areas like data science and AI.

IIT Palakkad, celebrating its 10th anniversary last month, has grown from offering three B.Tech programs to eleven departments and a student body of 1,400. However, the lack of completed facilities limits further expansion and the acceptance of additional students. The institute estimates that the construction delay has cost them a full year of progress and the potential addition of several hundred students and new academic programs.

Despite these challenges, IIT Palakkad continues to plan for the future, including the development of a 20-acre research and innovation park to benefit local businesses and the burgeoning Kochi-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor. The unresolved construction dispute, however, remains a major obstacle to the institute’s continued development.

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