Thursday, October 05, 2006

 

Central Cabinet yet to okay Orissa NISER

Delay in putting the seal of approval on the proposed National Institute of Science, Education and Research (NISER) in Orissa by the Union Cabinet has caused sticky situation over the establishment of the institution.

Faculty members in Institute of Physics(IOP) are in quandary as how to go ahead on the project in absence of any formal order.

Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh on August 28 announced setting up a NISER here to remove the regional imbalance in science teaching and development of science and technology in the country.

But till date the Union Cabinet has not approved the proposal, said sources.

According to Dr. Singh’s announcement, the NISER would be at par with the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) being established at Pune and Kolkota.

This will entail at least Rs.500 crore for the institution, said an official.

But the Planning Commission has also not finalized its funding pattern.

In the mean time IISER at Pune and Kolkota has already started their courses from this year.

While both the IISER are under the administrative control of Human Resources Development Ministry, where as the NISER will operate under the umbrella of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

According to reliable sources DAE has not yet sent its proposal to the Union Cabinet.

Though on one hand they express helplessness over the delay in approval by the Union Cabinet, IOP scientists are hopeful about the establishment of NISER since Prime Minister has announced the project.

According to them, DAE Secretary Dr.Anil Kakodkar is in regular touch with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), which is monitoring the issue.

NISER would undertake integrated five year masters courses in core and emerging branches of science to provide world class education to students after the 10+2 stage.

The NISER would work within the DAE family and award degrees under the Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) which already is a deemed university for post-graduate studies.

They said that emerging branches of science including physics, chemistry, modern biology and Mathematics will be taught here.

Accordingly they have started preliminary job of formulating curriculum for integrated M Sc.

However their spirits are being dampen over the absence of any concrete steps in this regard.

Once the approval comes through they see no problem in starting classes from 2007.

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