JU eyes Central grant of Rs 125 cr for high-end research centre
HRD ministry to aid 4 out of 8 short-listed institutes which include Jadavpur University
Kolkata: The Jadavpur University is one of the eight educational institutes short-listed by Union Human Resource Development Ministry for a grant of Rs 125 crore, which will be provided to only four institutions, for setting up a centre for Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF).
The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, a premier engineering institution in the state, is also in the race.
"We had already made a presentation in the end of April in
Delhi showcasing we have the necessary infrastructure for the centre for Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities. The centre will have high and sophisticated instruments facilitating high-end research. The centre will function in 365 days in a year and if we figure among the beneficiaries it will surely be a big
boom for research in the Jadavpur University," said Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, dean of engineering at the Jadavpur University.
Pravas Chandra Chakrabarti, professor of metallurgical and material engineering has been chosen as the SAIF coordinator.
The recurring cost and maintenance of the centre will depend on earnings from the service fees that will be charged for using the facilities of the centre. If Jadavpur University gets the grant approval, the tests carried out by the researchers in the university will be chargeable. If other educational institutions avail the JU SAIF facilities, they will have to pay twice the amount paid by Jadavpur University researchers or professors and if industries use the SAIF facilities at JU, they will be charged ten times.
Sources in JU said a number of leading industries in Bengal such as Haldia Petochemicals and Tata Steel have shown interest in availing the facilities of SAIF. The names of the four institutions, which will get the Central funds, are expected to be announced by the end of this month after the elections are over.
A senior professor in the varsity said a space in the Technology Bhavan on the main campus of the varsity has been earmarked for setting up the
Centre.
A three-member team from the HRD ministry had visited the JU campus in April to assess whether the university has the infrastructure for setting up the centre. The team had also visited the site that has been selected by the varsity for SAIF.
