“The question that keeps surfacing is: why does Goa need an IIT? Some argue that Goans are not particularly interested in the IIT system, that the benefits do not reach local students, and that the state is better off nurturing its own colleges. But this argument does not stand scrutiny. Many Goan students already study at IITs across the country. They compete at the highest level and succeed. Having an IIT in the state opens the door for more such opportunities, not fewer. It also attracts students from across India, building an academic ecosystem that Goa has long lacked.”
The controversy around the permanent campus of IIT Goa has stretched far too long. What should have been a milestone in the state’s educational landscape has instead become a saga of protests, shifting sites, and political hesitation. The scenes have been repetitive. First Melaulim, then Loliem, later Sanguem, and now Codar. The same resistance, the same faces leading agitations, the same slogans of protecting land and livelihoods. It gives the impression that Goa is systematically rejecting a national institution of excellence.
The government must ask itself why this has happened repeatedly. The people of Goa are not opposed to education or progress. They are rightly protective of their land, culture, and environment. Yet when the same set of activists are seen mobilising opposition in location after location, one cannot ignore the suspicion that this is not merely about local concerns but a larger campaign to block IIT Goa from taking root.
It is here that the government has faltered. Instead of anticipating opposition and preparing a strategy of dialogue, the state has reacted late and often defensively. Each time, the project has collapsed under public resistance, and the administration has gone back to the drawing board. This cycle has undermined credibility. For an institution of national importance, the state has failed to show conviction or clarity.
The question that keeps surfacing is: why does Goa need an IIT? Some argue that Goans are not particularly interested in the IIT system, that the benefits do not reach local students, and that the state is better off nurturing its own colleges. But this argument does not stand scrutiny. Many Goan students already study at IITs across the country. They compete at the highest level and succeed. Having an IIT in the state opens the door for more such opportunities, not fewer. It also attracts students from across India, building an academic ecosystem that Goa has long lacked.
Education is not a short-term investment. It reshapes the intellectual and economic profile of a region. Goa cannot forever define itself only by tourism, taxis, and mining. Those are important livelihoods, but they cannot be the ceiling of ambition. A premier institution like IIT can inspire research, entrepreneurship, and a skilled workforce. It can anchor new industries and collaborations. To reject this is to turn away from a chance at diversification and innovation.
That said, the government must acknowledge the deep mistrust on the ground. People see large projects as land grabs in disguise. They fear displacement and ecological damage. In Goa, where land is scarce and precious, these are not unfounded worries. The administration must engage communities before announcing sites, not after protests erupt. Transparency in land acquisition, clear compensation policies, and a commitment to minimal ecological impact are non-negotiable.
At the same time, the state cannot allow a small but vocal group to hold back an institution of this scale indefinitely. Firmness is required. Once the consultations are held and genuine concerns addressed, the government must show the will to proceed. Endless relocations only embolden obstructionists and frustrate those who genuinely want educational progress.
The larger challenge is one of vision. Goa must decide what kind of future it seeks. If the state continues to resist every major educational or research initiative, it risks becoming an economy with narrow dependence and limited intellectual capital. IIT Goa is not just about classrooms and laboratories. It is about signalling that Goa is ready to invest in knowledge, not only in beaches and casinos.
The repeated failures to settle the IIT campus issue are not just administrative setbacks. They are reflections of hesitation, lack of communication, and perhaps misplaced priorities. The government now has to break this cycle. It must identify a site through transparent dialogue, win local trust with concrete assurances, and then move ahead without wavering.
If Goa turns its back on IIT, it risks sending a message that the state is not interested in higher education at all. That would be a disservice to the young generation, many of whom aspire to precisely the kind of opportunities that an IIT can provide. The government must rise above short-term resistance and deliver on a long-term vision. Goa deserves no less.
