Upper house or Rajya Sabha has passed the Indian Institute of Information Technology (Amendment) bill 2017. The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced by the Central government in Lok Sabha on March 27, 2017, and is now passed by Lok Sabha on July 26, 2017, and by Rajya Sabha on August 3rd, 2017.

Why is the bill important?

The amendment was brought to align the bill clause in recognition with Andhra Pradesh reorganization bill whose clause stated that 13 educational institutions will also be given to the successor state. The bill also grants status of as of national importance to certain IIITs.

What is Institute of National Importance?

An Institute of National Importance, in India, is defined as one which serves as a pivotal player in developing highly skilled personnel within the specified region of the country/state. Only a chosen few institutes make it to this coveted list and are usually supported by the Government of India or even any other international institutes to develop centers of excellence in research, academics, and other such elite schools of education.

Other Institutes of National Importance:

In India, all of the IITs, NITs, AIIMS, NIPERs, ISI and some other institutes as Institutes of National Importance. For complete please visit this Wikipedia link.  As of 23 April 2015, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has listed 74 institutions under this category.

Major Points Related to the bill:

1. The Bill amends the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014. The Act declares certain Institutes of Technology as institutions of national importance. 
2. Further, the bill seeks to:
   1. Develop new knowledge in information technology.
   2. Provide manpower of global standards for the information technology industry. 
3. Incorporation of an Institute:
   The Bill seeks to declare the Indian Institute of Technology, Design, and Manufacturing, Kurnool as an institution of national importance and adds it to the Schedule of the Act (consists of other institutions of national importance).
4. Appointment of Director: 
   Under the Act, there is a search-cum-selection committee which recommends names to the central government for the appointment of the Director of an Institute.
5. Appointment for posts of Assistant Professor and above: 
   The Act permits the Board of Governors of the institutes to appoint Assistant Professors above that level as well.

Summary Source: prsindia.org website