DA-IICT at Gandhinagar represents Wave-4 of educational innovation in Gujarat. The first wave was the nationalist wave and led to Gandhian experiments in education including Nai Talim. The Gujarat Vidyapith established in 1920 was a hybrid model of a university based on Gandhian principles. The second wave led to the establishment of a whole range of educational institutions in Gujarat, mainly private colleges. The third wave, an inspired one, was spearheaded by the industrialist Kasturbhai Lalbhai and the scientist Vikram Sarabhai and led to the establishment of a network of national institutes of international renown. A whole array of remarkable intellectuals provided the leadership of these institutes. It was in Wave 4 when the focus shifted to higher education and private participation. One of the institutes created during this period is DA-IICT. It is a University under the State Act of Gujarat. The DA-IICT was established in Gandhinagar in 2001. It is the only advanced institute named after the Late Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Group. The architecture of DA-IICT is functional, but what surrounds it is a fascinating garden. The entire design was oriented to "Preserving the Environment". The different blocks are located such that there is minimum damage to trees. Most of the 2566 trees chosen are indigenous varieties. The lawn area measures roughly 50,000 square meters with 3900 square meters of wild St Augustine grass. 3400 Bamboos were planted to mask the concrete. Next to the library stands the herb garden with 35 varieties of rare medicinal plants. The entire landscape was planned and developed in a manner that no excess rainwater is lost and all irrigation is carried out with recycled water. Over 30 species of birds are observed in the campus.
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