Government has allocated Rs 988 crore (Rs 9.88 billion) in Budget estimates for 2007-08 for increasing infrastructure of IIT institutions in the wake of decision to provide 27 per cent reservation for students belonging to backward castes, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

"Government is committed to provide adequate funds to increase infrastructure on account of increase in the intake of capacity of students," HRD Minister Arjun Singh said in a written reply.

The other backward classes quota, in addition to existing reservations for SC/ST students, will be provided over a maximum period of three years beginning with the academic session 2007-08, he said. 

While doing so, Singh said, the institutes will have to ensure that total seats for general category students is maintained at 2006-07 level.

He said Rs 988 crore is proposed in Budget estimates for 2007-08 for capacity expansion of IITs. The minister said IITs have increased their intake of PhD programmes to make available increased number of eligible persons to take up faculty positions.

SSA: A sum of Rs 10,671 crore (Rs 106.71 billion) has been provided in budget estimates for 2007-08 for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Singh said.

While Rs 3,678 crore (Rs 36.78 billion) will be provided as gross budgetary support, a sum of Rs 6993 crore (Rs 69.93 billion) will be raised from Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh which was established to account for accruals of education cess, he said.