NISER Bhubaneswar, India

Union Cabinet approves NISER

2007-09-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Tathya.in, Sept 7, 2007
New Delhi:6/September/2007

True to his words, Man Mohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India asked the Union Cabinet to put its seal for establishment of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar.

Accordingly the Cabinet approved NISER at an estimated cost of Rs. 823.19 crore under the chairmanship of Dr.Singh.

In face of the stiff opposition from Arjun Singh, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister, Dr.Singh promised the people of Orissa on August 28, 2006 to set up the NISER.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of 761 posts in academic, scientific, technical, administrative and auxiliary categories for the institute.

And now with the funds in place the NISER will start functioning initially from the campus of Institute of Physics (IOP) and its academic program will begin from September 12, 2007.

For this year 41 students have been selected for an integrated 5 year M.Sc. program in the core and emerging branches of Basic Sciences.

These students will take admission on September 10.

Those bright and meritorious students are chosen through an all India examination after their 10+2 Higher Secondary schooling.

This in turn will be integrated with Ph.D. program on the one hand and employment in various R&D organizations and industry in the country on the other.

NISER will be running Integrated M.Sc. and Ph.D after B.Sc from other Universities.
It will also conduct Ph. D. program after M.Sc. from other universities.

A quiet ceremony for inauguration of NISER will be held on September 10 inside the IOP campus, said Institute sources.

Incidentally Congress party has called a state wide bundh on the same day to oppose the anti-people moves of the BJD-BJP government.

IISER Mohali faculty advertisement has appeared

2007-08-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION & RESEARCH (IISER)

MGSIPA Complex, Sector 26, Chandigarh-160019, India

Advt. no. DF-1/2007

Applications are invited from eligible candidates with excellent track record for faculty positions at vaious levels in all areas of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology. IISER Mohali is for extremely motivated scientists with a high-profile research agenda and a flair for teaching (especially at the undergraduate level). Minimum requirement of qualifications and/or experience cen be relaxed in case of exceptionalyy outstanding candidates.

Lecturer (on contract) (Pay : Rs.10000-15000/-), Ph.D. with a good academic record.
Assistan Professor (Pay : Rs.12000-18300/-), Ph.D. with a minimum of three years of post-doctoral or equivalent experience
Assosciate Professor (Pay : Rs.16400-20000/-), Ph.D. with minimum of 8 years of teaching/research experience of which at least 3 years should be at the level of an assistant professor
Professor (Pay : Rs.18400-22400), Ph.D. with a minimum of 10 years of teaching/research experience of which at least 5 years should be at the level of an assistant/associate professor.

Applications in plain paper giving details of date of birth, qualification, list of publications and names of at least 3 referees should be sent to the Director, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, MGSIPA Complex, Sector-26, Chandigarh-160019, preferably by September 15,2007 . Application can also be sent by e-mail to director@iisermohali.org

IISER Punjab will be functional by July

2007-06-22T00:48:00.000-07:00

IISER will be functional by July

The foundation stone of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research was laid by PM Manmohan Singh in September, 2006

Express News Service

Chandigarh, June 21: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) will start functioning from Mahatma Gandhi PSIPA, Sector 26 in July. The announcement was part of the budget presentation in the Punjab Assembly. The foundation stone of the institute was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September last year in Mohali. Though starting in PSIPA, the institute will later be shifted to a campus in Mohali. The institute will have facilities for both graduate and post graduate classes. Funded by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the cost of the project is estimated at around Rs 500 crore. The aim is to promote scientific research and technological development and help improve the level of pure as well as applied sciences. It is proposed that the institute would have academic programmes in physical sciences, chemical sciences, mathematics, material sciences, environment and earth system sciences, life sciences and computer sciences. Apart from these, the institute would also admit post-doctoral fellows. When fully established, the total strength of the integrated MSc programme in each discipline is proposed to be 1,000 and that of the doctoral and post-doctoral programmes about 1,055.

NISER deadline for submitting application form is extended till June 15 2007

2007-06-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

NISER web site was very slow and then went down for possibly more than a week just around its original deadline for submission of application form.

The new deadline to submit application is June 15 2007 and the application form can be obtained from NISER website http://www.iopb.res.in/niser/admission.php or from the Homi Bhabha web site http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/nisernest or from here (application form, information brochure). See also http://www.orissawatch.org/?p=213.

State to hand over 300 acres free of cost for establishment of NISER: NewIndianExpress

2007-06-07T20:46:00.001-07:00

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to hand over 300 acres of land free of cost for establishment of the National Institute of Science and Education Research (NISER), Higher Education Minister Samir De informed the Assembly on Thursday.

Replying to a question from Ramesh Chandra Chau Pattnaik (BJD), the Minister said that as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced about opening the NISER here during his visit to Orissa in August last year, it is likely to receive the approval of the Union Cabinet soon.

De said the State Government has already identified 325.965 acres of Government land under Jatni tahasil for the Institute and the Revenue Department has been directed to hand over 300 acres of land free of cost to the Institute.

The Minister said that the Department of Atomic Energy has been taking necessary steps to set up the Institute and students would be inducted for the current academic year.

He denied that there has been delay in establishing the Institute in the State and outlined various steps taken by the Government as per the request of the Centre. The General Administration Department has been directed to provide 10 acres of Government land close to the Institute of Physics to set up the NISER campus, he added.

The Government, he further said, has also provided 30 quarters to the NISER for students' hostel and residential houses for the teaching as well as non-teaching staff while another 14 houses in an apartment would be provided to the Institute soon.

The Higher Education Minister said that Rs 841 crore would be invested in the NISER which would induct 40 students in pure science from this academic session.

In response to a supplementary from Bhibhuti Bhusan Harichandan (BJP), De said that the UPA Government has made a provision of rupees two crore this year for undertaking infrastructure development and denied that there has been inordinate delay in setting up of the Institute.

300 acres earmarked for NISER

2007-06-07T20:44:00.001-07:00

BHUBANESWAR, June 7: The state government has earmarked over 300 acres of land near Jatni for the proposed National Institute of Science and Education Research (NISER), which is temporarily functioning at the Institute of Physics, said higher education minister Mr Samir Dey.
Responding to questions in the Assembly, Mr Dey said admissions for different courses in the institute were to begin this academic session.
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had announced the establishment of the NISER during his visit to Orissa in August last year. The announcement had come in the wake of protests over alleged shifting of a proposed National Institute of Sciences from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata.
The minister denied the charge that establishment of the proposed NISER had been delayed.

300 acres earmarked for NISER

2007-06-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

IISER, IIST to be underway in Kerala this year

2007-05-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 31 : Amidst reports that Kerala is likely to lose the Centre's prestigious IISER (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research) to neighbouring states, the Kerala government has announced that the proposed institute will start functioning in Kerala from this year itself.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has specifically assured as much, Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan told reporters after returning from the National Development Council meeting in New Delhi. Land for IISER has been identified and earmarked in Vithura, near Thiruvananthapuram.

Union human resource minister Arjun Singh also supported expediating the institute," Achuthanandan said.

The IISERs are conceived as national centres of excellence on the model of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. They are envisaged to integrate undergraduate and postgraduate science education as well as higher research under one roof.

In addition, ISRO will set up India's first Institute of Space Technology (IIST) in Thiruvananthapuram this year itself. "The Prime Minister has promised to give me a date on the ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the space institute,'' the chief minister told reporters, after a meeting of the state Cabinet here.

The Kerala Cabinet, which met on Thursday, also decided to develop Azhiekal and Beypore ports under PPP (Public Private Participation) model.

More on UM-DAE CBS

2007-05-30T23:31:00.000-07:00

UM-DAE CBS (University of Mumbai-Dept. of Atomic Energy Center for Excellence in Basic Sciences) will have a common entrance exam with NISER. Following is more information on UM-DAE CBS obtained from their brochure.

University of Mumbai � Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CBS) is being set up by the Department of Atomic Energy of Government of India at Mumbai, beginning with the academic year 2007-08, to impart high quality science education in a vibrant academic ambience, with a faculty of distinguished teachers and scientists. The aim of this special Centre is to nurture world class scientists for the country who will take up challenging research and teaching assignments in Universities, R&D laboratories and industry. UM-DAE CBS will be a residential campus, with suitable accommodation, boarding and recreational facilities. Besides their intensive involvement in stimulating academic work, students will also have ample time for sports, cultural and other enriching activities.

The permanent campus of UM-DAE CBS will be located in a beautiful area within the sprawling Kalina Campus of the University of Mumbai. It will have about 1000 students, 150 faculty members and a similar number of support staff. CBS will have state-of-the-art infrastructure including research laboratories, library and computer facilities, and is likely to be ready in few years. Until then UM-DAE CBS will function from a temporary location in the same campus. UM-DAE CBS will be affiliated to the University of Mumbai.

Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country, is known for its multi-cultural milieu, dynamism and rich scientific legacy. Besides science departments, the Kalina Campus houses departments in arts, languages and the humanities. The city boasts of some of the premier scientific and educational institutions of the country such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and IIT Bombay. Students joining UM-DAE CBS will be nurtured within this rich cultural and scientific environment.

Five year M.Sc. (Integrated) Programme in Basic Sciences

UM-DAE CBS will have a large variety of academic programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate education. To begin with, UM-DAE CBS will offer a 5-year M.Sc. (Integrated) Programme in basic sciences after 10+2 (or equivalent) schooling. The institute will have major schools in mathematical, physical, chemical, biological and computer sciences. After successful completion of the academic requirements students will be awarded the degree of M.Sc. (Integrated) of the University of Mumbai in one of the four subjects : mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. For the academic year beginning September 2007 admission will be in physics stream only.

The programme will have a balanced semester-based course structure with a flexible seamless curriculum that emphasizes interdisciplinary nature of science in the 21st century and promotes exploration, innovation and research. The curriculum for the first two semesters (first year) will be common to all and specialization will begin with the third semester. The core courses in the subject of specialization will provide strong foundations in both theoretical and experimental aspects of the discipline. In addition, students will be required to go through a certain number of courses in other subjects also. All students will be required to go through a small number of compulsory courses in humanities, technical communication, history of science, environmental and energy sciences.

The fourth year of the M. Sc. (Integrated) programme will be devoted to advanced courses in various disciplines. In the last year every student will undertake a guided research project. The outcome of the investigation will be reported in the form of a thesis. Throughout the five-year programme, students will be encouraged to take up summer projects and visit reputed national laboratories and universities. Eminent scientists from India and abroad will be regularly invited to give colloquia/seminars and interact with the students. In short the curriculum is designed to ensure depth in the area of specialization together with breadth of exposure and intellectual enrichment, and to prepare the student for high level professional research and development career in national laboratories, universities and industry.

Bhubaneswar to house one of five new basic sciences centres

2007-05-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Mumbai to house one of five new basic sciences centres
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 09:06 IST

Will commence academic session from 2007-08

There is some good news for those worried about the lack of efforts on the part of the government to popularise basic sciences. The central government plans to set up five new Centres for IITs of Basic Sciences in the country, to churn out the best minds in basic sciences. Calling it an innovative move — like the one taken 50 years ago to set up the IITs — Professor Arvind Kumar, Centre Head, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) said, “These special centres will nurture world-class scientists, who will take up challenging research and teaching assignments in universities, R&D labs and the industry.”

“These centres are being set up in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bhubhaneshwar and Mohali. The Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) at Mumbai University, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Kolkata, IISER-Mohali and the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISEC)-Bhubhaneshwar in Orissa will be the new major centres for basic sciences,” Professor Arvind added.

The Mumbai and Kolkata centres will commence their academic sessions from 2007-08. “The motto of all five institutes will be ‘teaching embedded in a research environment’, with faculty comprising eminent scientists and experts,” Arvind asserted.

Equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and libraries, these institutes will provide world-class facilities for research and higher studies in basic sciences.

“A very feasible inter-disciplinary curriculum will be introduced, for the studies under the integrated courses in these institutes,” he added.

IISER and NISER will be recognised as centres of excellence in science education and research in four basic sciences viz. biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. At a later stage, the activities will be expanded to include earth and planetary, engineering and computer science.

Hindu: 200 acres land handed over for setting up of IISER project

2007-05-15T09:56:00.001-07:00

National
200 acres land handed over for setting up of IISER project

Kalyani (WB), May 13. (PTI): The West Bengal Government on Saturday handed over 201.65 acres of land in West Bengal's Nadia district to the Centre for establishing the India Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER).

The 201.65 acres of land located in the Haringhata Dairy of the district was handed over to the IISER Registrar D Gunusekharan by Nadia District Magistrate Onkar Singh Meena, , officials said.

A sum of Rs 1,000 crore has been sanctioned by the Centre for the IISER project.

While the institute had already started in Kolkata, a target has been set to start 2009 academic session at the campus in Haringhata.

The IISER would work towards integrating education with research so that under graduate and post graduate teaching as well as doctoral and post doctoral research works are carried in tandem.

Officials said, the land was being given to the institute in exchange of Re one as token money.

IISER Kolkata gets land for its permanent campus

2007-05-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

IISER gets land for permanent campus

Statesman News Service

KALYANI, May 13: Ten months after the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, laid the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, the institute yesterday received more than 200 acres from the state government for setting up its permanent campus at Haringhata here.

In a formal ceremony, the Nadia district magistrate, Mr Onkar Singh Meena, on behalf of the state government handed over 201.65 acres in Haringhata mouza to the institute’s director, Professor Sushanta Dattagupta, in exchange of Re 1 as token money.

Prof Dattagupta said at the ceremony that the permanent campus had been proposed at Haringhata after detailed survey and discussion with officials of the higher education, animal resource development and land and land reforms departments of West Bengal. “I hope the campus can be started from next year,” he said.

Functioning from its Kolkata campus at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Salt Lake since 17 August last year, thirty- eight students got admitted in the first year of the five-year Integrated Master of Science Programme through the extended merit list of IIT-JEE, last year.

This will increase and the institute will take in 200 MSc students and 200 research fellows when the new campus starts functioning.

The institute will also select 100 students who qualify any of the IIT JEE-2007, Olympiad Examination - 2007 and Kishore Vigyan Protsahan Yojana (KVPY)-2005 for admission in the first year of the academic session beginning in July.

The fully residential programme at IISER provides students a fellowship of Rs 3,000 a month.

“Like the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, a BSc student here can complete his or her PhD directly, without going through a formal MSc degree,” Prof Dattagupta said. The institute’s five-year integrated Master’s Degree course in Science offers students the freedom to choose modules. Currently, the institute has several schools of faculties and a few inter-disciplinary centres. It has got curriculums in the fields of Life Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer, Geo Science and Information Technology, among others. “We have aims to involve young students in the field of Science and Research from a very tender age,” Prof D Gunasekharan, the institute’s registrar, said. IISER aims to counter the country’s steady slide in the field of Science and Research.
The Central government has sanctioned the institute Rs 500 crore for five years.

Telegraph: Research hub to open

2007-05-11T19:54:00.001-07:00

Research hub to open

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bhubaneswar, May 11: Institute of Physics (IOP) is all set to receive the first batch of students for the new National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), a research institution set up on the lines of internationally-reputed IISc-Bangalore, that’s coming up on IOP premises.

Though the institute will finally be set at Naraj near Cuttack, it will start functioning from IOP from this year till the new building comes up. The new academic block, comprising three laboratories and a classroom is coming up within the campus of Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, to house the new institute.

“The construction is on schedule and we have already approved the plan,” said IOP director Y.P. Viyogi.

New Indian Express: Set up NISER in city by August says HC

2007-05-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Set up NISER in city by August: HC
Thursday May 10 2007 14:23 IST

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Government to set up the National Institute of Science Education and Research at Bhubaneswar by August 2007.

Disposing of the PIL filed by one Prasanta Kumar Das challenging the shifting of National Institute of Science from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata, a division bench of Justices I.M. Quddusi and AK Samantray directed the Centre to abide by the affidavit filed by it in the High Court.

The HC had earlier stayed the shifting but the order was vacated by the Supreme Court, which directed the Centre to dispose of the matter in three months.

Pursuant to such directions, the Union HRD Ministry had filed an affidavit before the High Court stating that NISER, which was at par with NIS would be established and start functioning by August 2007.

Considering the statements made in the affidavit, the High Court has disposed of the litigation.

Sambada: High Court Orders NISER to start by August end

2007-05-09T22:52:00.001-07:00

Old firing range to be moved for NISER

2007-04-28T06:48:00.001-07:00

Today’s Sambada and Pragativadi have more detailed news on progress with respect to NISER. It reports that a firing range that currently exists in the area where NISER is to be located will be moved. Land will be soon handed over to NISER. etc.

NISER has a new webpage; admission ad appears in papers etc.

2007-04-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

NISER now has a new and more professional looking web page. Its ad for admission appears in Samaja. Its website also has the application form and information brochure.

Samaja reports NISER will be in Khorda

2007-04-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

Samja raports that NISER would be established in Khorda instead of Naraj in about 300 acres of land. Another 10 acres of land near Institute of Physics would be made available for NISER city campus.

Details in PDF

NISER website is up again: updated, with entrance exam dates etc.

2007-04-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

The web site of NISER (National Institute of Science Education and Research) is up at http://www.iopb.res.in/niser/.

Affiliations of people involved in making various NISER documents and reports

2007-04-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar
Department of Atomic Energy
Higher Education Department, Orissa
IIT Bombay
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai
University of Mumbai
Indian Institute of Science
DCSEM, DAE
Bhaba Atomic Research Center
National Physical Laboratory
JNU

NISER location in wikimapia

2007-04-04T06:56:00.001-07:00

Updates on NISER: Excerpt of an email from an Orissa govt. official

2007-04-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

The land for NISER has been located near Bhubaneswar/ Khurda near the Private Engineering Colleges / Barunei Hill. Dr Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, visited the plot of land on 30.03.2007 along with other members of the Steering Commiittee of NISER Project. The State Govt. has agreed to give 300 acres of land free of cost. Govt. has also agreed to give about 44 nos of new flats near Institute of Physics for hostel/staff quarters of NISER till the permanent campus comes up.

The first batch of students for NISER will join in September, 2007. Atomic Energy Commiision has approved the NISER Project at approximately Rs 823 / crores for a 7 year period. It will now go to the Union Cabinet for approval.

X is in the Steering Committee of NISER which is chaired by Dr Kakodkar, Chairman, AEC.Three meetings have already been held and the first batch of students will join in September, 2007.

NISER has advertised for office staff

2007-03-22T09:24:00.001-07:00

Institute of Physics

(An autonomous research institution of Dept. of Atomic Energy, Government of India)
P.O.: Sainik School, Bhubaneswar 751005, India

Advt. No. IOP/NISER/2007

Positions for NISER Project

National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) is being established in Bhubaneswar under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. The NISER Project will be functioning from Institute of Physics (IOP), Bhubaneswar. Applications are invited from prospective qualified persons (both in-service or retired) for the following purely temporary positions on contract basis under project mode. A consolidated emolument commensurate with experience and responsibility will be provided. Retired persons may also apply.

Sl. No.

Category of Post

No. of position

Tenure

1

Chief Administrative-cum-Finance Officer

One

Initial assignment for one year only, which is extendable depending upon performance of the candidate and the requirement of the Project.

2

Administrative Officer

One

3

Accounts Officer

One

4

Cashier

One

5

Hostel Superintendent

One

6

Office Assistant

Four

Note: Working knowledge of computers is essential for each of the above posts.

For Sl. No. 1 (Chief Administrative-cum-Finance Officer)

Qualifications (Essential) :

a) Graduate preferably Science/Arts/Commerce

b) 20 yrs. experience in the field of Administrative cum Finance or Procurement & Stores at the Senior Management level in a Govt./Semi-Govt/ Autonomous/ Public sector undertaking.

Nature of Duties

1) To Co-ordinate the day-to-day functioning of the Administration, Finance, Stores & Procurement controlled by the respective heads of the sections/laboratories.

2) To interface with the sections and the Head of NISER Project for effective functioning and smooth running of Management services at NISER.

3) All other Administrative duties as may be assigned from time to time.

For Sl. No. 2 (Administrative Officer)

Qualifications (Essential) :

a) Graduate preferably Science/ Arts/Commerce

b) 15 yrs. experience in the field of Administration at the Senior level in a Govt./Semi-Govt/ Autonomous/ Public sector undertaking.

Nature of Duties

1) To Co-ordinate the day-to-day functioning of the academic and general administration of the NISER Project.

2) All other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

For Sl. No. 3 (Accounts Officer)

Qualifications (Essential) :

a) Graduate in Commerce

b) 15 yrs. experience in the field of Accounts and Audit at the Senior level in a Govt./Semi-Govt/ Autonomous/ Public sector undertaking.

Nature of Duties

1) To Co-ordinate the day-to-day functioning of the Accounts matters of NISER Project.

2) General supervision of works of the Accounts Section; to look into general accounts, maintenance of accounts, drawing and disbursement of fund, supervision of cash and accounts, preparation of budgets, maintaining bank accounts, scrutiny and payment of bills of suppliers, medical bills, bills for advance TA etc., and establishment accounts pertaining to PF, Gratuity, Pension and allied matters, LTC, encashment of leave etc., and preparation of Annual Accounts of the office, and any other accounting duties as may be prescribed from time to time.

For Sl. No. 4 (Cashier)

Qualifications (Essential) :

a) Graduate in Commerce.

b) 5 (Five) years experience in the field of Accounts or Audit in a Govt./Semi-Govt/ Autonomous/ Public sector undertaking or Private Organisation

Nature of Duties

1) Responsible for maintenance of accounts, including books, registers, vouchers and other documents relating to all receipts and disbursement, return relating to Finance and Statistics, scrutiny and payment of bills for purchase under the project, salary bills etc., and to assist for the preparation of Annual Accounts, and any other accounting duties as may be prescribed from time to time.

For Sl. No. 5 (Hostel Superintendent)

Qualifications (Essential) :

a) Graduate in Commerce.

b) 5 (Five) years experience in the field of managing a guest house/ hostel in a Govt./Semi-Govt./ Autonomous/ Public sector undertaking or Private Organisation

Nature of Duties

1) Shall be responsible for managing the hostel including food, boarding and lodging of students of NISER.

2) Shall be responsible for maintenance of accounts, including books, registers, vouchers and other documents relating to all receipts and disbursement, return relating to Hostel

3) All other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

For Sl. No. 6 (Office Assistant)

Qualifications (Essential) :

a) Graduate in Science/Arts/Commerce.

b) Experience in the field of office work in administration / accounts in a Govt./Semi-Govt/ Autonomous/ Public sector undertaking or Private Organisation

Nature of Duties

1) Correspondence, various returns, maintenance of service books, casual leave cases, maintenance of building registers, indent procurement and supply of stationery materials, preparation of vouchers, maintenance of incoming and outgoing diary, receipt and despatch of letters, typing sectional diary and typing, maintenance of records, and all other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

The last date of submission of duly filled application is upto 26^th, March 2007 (Monday).
The prescribed Essential Qualifications are a bare minimum and mere possession of same will not entitle the candidates to be called for interview. Where number of applications received in response to an advertisement is large, it may not be convenient or possible for the Institute to interview all the candidates. The Institute may restrict the number of candidates to be called for written exam / skill test / interview to a reasonable limit, on the basis of qualifications and experience higher than that of the minimum prescribed in the advertisement. The candidates should, therefore, furnish all the qualifications and experience possessed in the relevant field, over and above the minimum qualifications prescribed.
Relaxation in educational qualification and / or experience will be considered in case of exceptionally meritorious candidates, with prior approval of the Competent Authority.
Director, IOP reserves the right not to fill-up the post advertised without assigning any reasons. The forms for recruitment and review may change at any stage, if so decided by the Project Director, NISER.
Selected candidates may have to join the position immediately on being found fit by a medical authority.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications neatly typed on A/4 size plain paper, as per the prescribed format provided in the detailed advertisement, should reach on or before due date i.e. 26^th March, 2007 to "The Director, Institute of Physics, Sachivalaya Marg, Bhubaneswar 751005".
The application format can be downloaded from the link provided below.
Duly attested copies of all documents related to educational qualifications, date of birth, work experience etc. must be submitted along with the application.
One self attested recent passport size photograph should be pasted in the appropriate place in the application form.
The Envelope of the application must be superscribed "Application for the post of .........................................Advertisement No...................................)".
Application can be sent by email to diroff@iopb.res.in

(Y.P. Viyogi)

Director

Click to download the application format [DOC] [PDF]

Format of Application

Advertisement No. :

Position Applied for :

Affix a latest passport size
photo here

1. Name in full (in Block letters):

2. Father's/Husband's Name:

3. Permanent Address including:

Phone, fax, e-mail

4. Address for correspondence:

Phone, Fax, e-mail

5. (a) Date of Birth: Date : Month: Year :

(Attested copy of proof of age to be attached)

(b) Age as on (Date of publication) : years months days

6. Nationality:

7. (a) List of higher qualifications:

(b) List of higher professional / technical qualifications.

8. Work Experience in chronological order, starting from the first job.

(Write in one paragraph about your work experience)

9. Name & address of last office with the designation.

(Write in one paragraph your last duties and responsibilities)

10. Any other information relevant:

Declaration

I hereby declare that all the statements made in this application are true and if any of the particulars furnished by me are found to be incorrect or suppressed, my candidature is liable to be rejected at any stage of selection process. Further, I understand that if it is found after my appointment at the Project that the particulars furnished by me are incorrect or suppressed, my services are liable to be terminated without any notice.

Place....................................... Signature of the Candidate..............................

Date........................................ Name..........................................................

IISERs and NISER in the 2007-08 budget

2007-02-28T00:32:00.000-08:00

In the 2007-08 budget there is no line item budget for NISER. Thats probably because NISER is yet to be approved by the cabinet. However, there is a significant increase in the budget of Institute of Physics and in page 5 item 9.04 it is mentioned that "the responsibility of setting up NISER at Bhubaneswar is entrusted to IOP."

IOP's budget (item 9.04, page 1) in 2006-07 was 4.96+9 = 13.6 crores. Its budget in 2007-08 is 32.75 + 7 = 39.5 crores. It can be safely assumed that a major chunk of the additional 25.9 crores is towards the NISER expenses. (Note that there are also huge increases in the budget of couple of other institutes too. This includes Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad and Institute of Plasma research, Gandhinagar.) The NISER budget compares favourably with the IISER budgets.

In the 2006-07 budget for IISERs in Pune and Kolkata (item 70) there was a total of 50 crores which was revised to 20 crores. This line item does not have numbers for 2007-08. There is another line item (item 76) on IISER with 125 crores for the 5 IISERs: the established ones in Pune and Kolkata and the 3 proposed IISERs in Bhopal, Trivendrum and Mohali, Punjab.

Cabinet approval for IISER in Mohali. What about NISER?

2007-02-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

The following news item notes that the Union Cbinet has given approval to IISER in Mohali. One wonders what happened to the approval of NISER, Bhubaneswar. Note that the foundation stone of IISER Mohali was laid on September 27 2006. This is almost one month later than the date when the PM announced NISER Bhubaneswar. However, IISER Mohali was first mentioned by the PM in January 2006.

Chitta

==================================================================================

Mohali to be new knowledge centre for north India

Chetan Chauhan

New Delhi, February 23, 2007

What Bangalore is for south India, Mohali would soon be for northern India - a hub for multi-level knowledge base with five educational institutes and a biotechnology park.

An ambitious plan prepared by the government to be implemented in the next five years have HRD ministry, Science and Technology ministry and Punjab government as collaborators. "Entire proposal is in the final stages of approval as the Punjab government has been asked to provide adequate land for the national knowledge project," a senior government official told HT.

The approval process started on Thursday with the Union Cabinet approving setting up of Rs 100 crore Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Mohali. By doing this, the government has fulfilled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s commitment of an IISER in the town.

The PM’s plan has got further boost with ministry of Science and Technology deciding to open National Institute of Nano-Technology and National Institute of Bio-Technology in Mohali. "The proposals in this regard would be forwarded for Cabinet consideration soon," a senior government official said.

The Punjab government has been asked by the Centre to open a management school through public-private partnership model in Mohali. They have also been asked to provide land for developing national biotechnology park. The existing National Institute for Pharmaceutical Education and Research will be part of the new ‘knowledge campus’.

According to a senior government official, all the five institutes will come up in one huge campus with common residential, library, sports, broadband and hostel facilities. To make it a true learning centre and attract best talent, the government has recommended residential facilities, with Internet facilities, for all students and teachers.

A sub-group headed by former education secretary BS Baswan has recommended a flexible recruitment policy for the campus and complete employment opportunities for students.

The report submitted in December 2006 entails that teachers would get salary higher than the government pay scales, extra honorarium for research projects and opportunities for visiting foreign universities, in a bid to attract best teaching talent. The group has also recommended that the new knowledge centre should have tie-ups with foreign universities to hire faculty of Indian origin on semesters basis.

For students, the group had recommended better interaction with industry with emphasis on future employment avenues.

E-mail Chetan Chauhan: chetan@hindustantimes.com

Panel picks up two sites for NISER: The New Indian Express

2007-02-10T05:05:00.000-08:00

Panel picks up two sites for NISER
Saturday February 10 2007 11:37 IST

BHUBANESWAR: An expert committee has short listed two sites for establishment of the National Institute of Scientific Education and Research (NISER) in the State.

About 296 acres of land near the Naraj barrage has been earmarked as the first site. Advantages: The site is close to Cuttack; 37 acres of gramin jungle, adjacent to it, would be developed as a botanical garden.

The second site is located near Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) installation and the elephant reserve in Cuttack district. It, however, has several disadvantages. Only 185 acres would be available which is not adequate for NISER.

Further, a good part of it is under IDCO, which may cause delay in possession. Moreover, part of the land is under litigation and there are several small patches which are not contiguous.

The sites were identified by the Site Selection Committee comprising Joint Secretary (Research and Development) in the Department of Atomic Energy, Director of the Indian Institute of Physics and Secretary in the Department of Higher Education.

Land for the institution would have to be handed over before the commencement of the next academic programme in August, 2007. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced the establishment of NISER during his visit to the State in August, 2006.

The detailed project report (DPR) has been completed and submitted to the Department of Atomic Energy for further processing and approval of the Union Cabinet. Centre has also formed a steering committee headed by Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Dr A Kakodkar for monitoring the progress.

The first academic programme would start from August, 2007 in the campus of the Institute of Physics for which the infrastructure is being developed.

Initial streams would be schools of Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Chemical Sciences and Biological Sciences. Schools of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Computing Sciences, Engineering Sciences and other branches would be added after the expansion of the institution.

In its full strength, NISER would have 200 students each year in the 5-year programme, 150 in Ph D programme and 50 in post doctorate. This will be supported by a faculty strength of 300.

The academic programme will provide integrated 5-year M Sc Programme in core and emerging areas of basic sciences after Plus Two. This will be integrated with Ph D programme on one hand and employment opportunities in various R&D organisations and industries on the other.

NISER would also provide integrated M Sc and Ph D programme and Ph D after M Sc for students of other universities.

The first is located near Naraj barrage and the other near CISF installation and elephant reserve in Cuttack.

Next Hearing of NIS Petition in High Court is on 21st Feb: Sambad, 9th Feb 2007

2007-02-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

NISER's budget is now 750 crores

2007-01-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

Samaja mentions [page1, page2] that NISER's budget is 750 crores over 7 years. Earlier the number mentioned was 560 crores over 7 years. Note that the IISER budgets were reported to be 500 crores each, some reports saying it to be over 5 years while the HRD annual report saying it to be over 7 years.

NISER to start admissions from next year

2007-01-17T16:13:00.000-08:00

NISER to start admissions from next year
Thursday January 18 2007 00:42 IST

BHUBANESWAR: The National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) would start admitting students from the next academic year.

Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Anil Kakodkar who met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat on Wednesday told newsmen that the institute would start taking in students from April, 2007.

The DAE has requested the State Government to provide 300 acres of land free of cost near Naraj to set up the Institute. The national institute, which will be established in association with the Institute of Physics, an autonomous body under the administrative control of the DAE, would be completed in two phases.

In the first phase, it will function within the framework of the Institute of Physics management by augmenting the infrastructure and in the second phase, a new campus will be developed for the proposed institute. NISER will seek affiliation from the Homi Bhabha National Institute.

In the first phase courses will be offered in subjects like Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology while in Phase two will see expansion of the campus to over 200 acres and introduction of new courses.

Admissions to NISER to commence from July

2007-01-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

Admissions to NISER to commence from July

Pioneer News Service \| Bhubaneswar
Admissions to the National Institute of Scientific Education and Research (NISER) would commence from July and it would work temporarily from the premises of the Institute of Physics. In this connection,. Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy Dr A Kakodkar met the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat on Wednesday.

In the first phase 20 students each will be admitted to the four streams. Dr Kakodkar urged the Chief Minister Patnaik to provide land soon for the establishment of the institute. For the time being, students and professors would stay in rented houses, which will be leased for five years. The houses will be provide to the NISER near Sainik School.

As per discussions, a modern campus would be set up spread over 300 acre near Naraj. It would be established either in Ramdaspur or in Chakradharpur near Naraj.

In the first phase, the four streams would include Physical Science, Mathematical Science, Chemical Sciences and Biological Sciences.

In future, streams would be opened up in School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, School of Computing Sciences, School of Engineering Science and other emerging braches.

It would provide an integrated 5-years MSc programme after 10+2 , integrated with Ph.D programme on one hand and employment in various R&D organisations and industry on the other.

At its full strength, NISER will each year have 200 students in the 5-year programme, 150 students in the Ph.D programme and 50 plus in post-doctoral studies. This will be supported by a faculty strength of 300.

SC directs HC on shifting of NIS: Reports Sambad

2007-01-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.orissasambad.com/index.php?id=12048

Modi Promises to Push for IISER in Bihar

2007-01-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

Modi Promises to Push for IISER in Bihar
Patna: January 7, 2007

A four-member delegate led by BiharBrains chairperson Bibhuti Vikramaditya, on Monday in Patna, met with the Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and presented its demand for the establishment of an Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) in Bihar.

During the meeting that lasted near 40 minutes, Modi assured the delegate of his support to their cause and promised to take up the issue with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his meeting with him on Tuesday.

Modi also invited the delegate to attend the NRI meet in Bihar to be held later this month.

Earlier, during his talk with the state Science and Technology minister Anil Kumar, Vikramaditya also presented his demand for an IISER in Bihar.

"Our demands have been forwarded to the state Department of Human Resources and other concerned officials in the state and we soon to have a report on its status," Vikramaditya said.

Besides Vikramaditya, former Vice Chancellor Prof. Jagannath Thakur, Prof. B. K. Sharma, Prof. S. P. Verma, and Vijay Sharan were part of the delegation.

A webpage for NISER is up

2006-12-27T02:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.iopb.res.in/~niser/

NISER in Orissa would be ISER-type: HRD ministry

2006-12-13T17:53:00.000-08:00

Decks cleared for IISER-type institute in Orissa
Shubhajit RoyPosted online: Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 0000 hrs Print Email

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 13: Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has given the go ahead for a new Indian institute of science education and research in Orissa.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had, in August this year, promised to the Orissa government that a new institute — of the level of IIT — will be opened in the state. Singh had made this promise to Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in response to the increased economic activity in the state.

Sources in the HRD ministry said the request from the PM’s Office came in September this year, shortly after Singh had assured Patnaik.

“Consequently, the HRD ministry officials belonging to the technical education bureau were asked to examine the feasibility of this proposal,” a senior HRD official told The Indian Express. The ministry examined the possibility of setting up a new institute and held several rounds of discussions with the Orissa government officials.

After several rounds of consultations, the HRD ministry came to the conclusion that it was feasible to set up an institute of repute in the state. Sources said that the new institute is expected to be called National Institute of Science Education and Research as proposed by the Orissa government.

Like the first two IISERs at Kolkata and Pune, and the third one at Mohali (Punjab), the institute will offer science education and research programmes from the BSc (undergraduate) level and will go up to PhD level.

Setting up this institute, sources said, will cost about Rs 560 crore and the government wants the institute to begin functioning from the next academic year itself, said sources.

According to officials, it will be a national centre of excellence as it will have an approximate strength of 1,000 students in the integrated masters’ programme and an additional strength of nearly 1,000 students in the parallel streams of post-BSc and post-MSc programmes.

Ministry officials said in-principle approval for another two IISERs at Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram has been received from the Planning Commission.

The process of setting up IISERS began after a strong recommendation from the Scientific Advisory Council to the PM, headed by Prof C N R Rao, was accepted by the government. The academic model of these institutions will be developed on the new model of university-laboratory relationship, sources said, where scientists of national laboratories will interact with faculty and students.

Budget and other comparisons between NISER and IISERs

2006-12-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

As reported in the Rajya Sabha Q & A the NISER budget estimate for its establishment is 560 crores for 7 years, while the IISERs have a budget of 500 crores for their establishments. However the 500 crores for the IISERs is said to be over 5 years.

But then, the 2006-07 budget document (sbe56) mentions 6 crores total for both IISERs (Pune and Kolkata) as part of the 2005-06 revised plan and 50 crores total for both IISERs as part of the 2006-07 plan.

So at this point it seems like the IISERs and NISER will have approximately the same budget, and the difference of 560-500 = 60 crores is probably due to the NISER phase 1 being at Institute of Physics. I.e., that 60 crore will probably will be spent for additional infrastructure (buildings, labs) at the Inst. of Physics which will not carry over to the new 300 acre campus of the NISER.

The difference between the 7 years making time for NISER and 5 year for IISERs may be again because of the two phases of NISER (phase 1 at IOP and phase 2 at its own campus). Also, DAE may be more conservative and realistic in estimating how long it will take to make the NISER.

Budget aside, because there will be 5 IIISERs they will get more publicity and they will be more well known among the general populace. But if the IISERs and NISER use the same entrance exam the students would get to know both. Similarly, when recruiting faculty, it may not make that big of a difference.

NISER: DAE seeks 300 acres for free near Capital City

2006-12-09T22:07:00.000-08:00

NISER: DAE seeks 300 acres for free near Capital City
Sunday December 10 2006 09:30 IST

BHUBANESWAR: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has requested the State Government to provide 300 acres of land free of cost near here for setting up of the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER).

In an official communique, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and DAE Secretary Anil Kakodkar said the department proposed to start classes for the first batch of NISER in 2007.

The national institute, which will be set up in association with the Institute of Physics, an autonomous body under the administrative control of DAE, is scheduled to be completed in two phases.

In the first phase, it will function within the framework of Institute of Physics (IoP) management by augmenting the infrastructure and in the second phase, a new campus will be developed for the proposed institute. NISER will seek affiliation from Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), a deemed university, Kakodkar said.

A joint secretary from DAE recently visited the State to discuss about NISER. He had visited several sites, including Naraj where a single patch of 300 acres is available.

Although the DAE officer was pleased with the Naraj site, he expressed his reservations after being told that the Tata Group is also interested to set up a thermal power plant somewhere near.

The DAE officer was told that if the Naraj site will be finalised for NISER, the State Government may locate another site for the Tata’s proposed power plant.

During discussion with Higher Education Secretary Ashok Tripathy, the DAE joint secretary hinted that plans are afoot to expand the NISER campus to a science city.

4th and 5th IISER in Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram

2006-12-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

Rajya Shaba

Two Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research(IISERs) at Kolkata and Pune have been set up and academic session has commenced from August, 2006. The foundation stone for the third IISER at Mohali, Punjab has been laid on 27th September, 2006. Planning Commission has communicated ‘in principle’ approval for setting up two more IISERs in Thiruvananthapuram and Bhopal. These institutues have been set up on the basis of recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (SAC – PM). There is no other proposal presently under consideration of the Government to set up more IISERs in the country.

This information was given in Parliament in a written reply by Smt. D. Purandeswari , MOS, HRD.

HB/SD

Rajya Sabha Q & A on NISER

2006-11-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

I am sending the answar given to Shri Rudranarayan pani honorable mp rs for your information.
Jual Oram

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION N0.450

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27-11-2006

Institute at Orissa

t450. SHRI RUDRA NARAYAN PANY:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is National Institute of Science (N.I.S.) or Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (U.S.E.R) or something else what the hon'ble Prime
Minister declared about of late in the month of August. during his visit to Orissa;

(b) whether the hon'ble Prime Minister laid the thundation stone of any building in this regard; and

(c) what is the amount to be incurred on this project and by when this institute will be built?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT

(SMT.D. PURANDESWARI)

(a) Hon'ble Prime Minister visited Institute of Physics at Bhubaneswar on 28 th
August, 2006 and declared setting up of a National Institute of Science Education
& Research (NISER)at Bhubaneswar.

(b) No, Sir.

(c) The approximate expenditure for setting up of the Project, to be spread over a
period of seven years, will be. to the tune of Rs. 560.00 crores. All efforts are
being made to start the first academic session from July, 2007.

NISER will function from next year reports Samaja

2006-11-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

http://niser.bbsr.googlepages.com/20061128samajaniser.pdf

IISER in South India Next Year and in Central India in 2008

2006-11-22T21:25:00.000-08:00

National Science Foundation launch likley in April

Special Correspondent
Bill expected to be passed in the winter session of Parliament, says C.N.R Rao

THINK TANK: Chairman of Advisory Council to Prime Minister C.N.R Rao talking to Gen (Retd) K.V. Krishna Rao at the Nayudamma Memorial Lecture on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: The National Science Foundation, being set up with an annual funding of Rs.1,000 crores to give a fillip to research and support institutes of excellence, is expected to begin functioning in April next.

Eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao told reporters on Tuesday, after delivering the `Dr. Y. Nayudamma Memorial Lecture' at the Administrative Staff College of India, that the Bill on the foundation was expected to be passed in the winter session of Parliament.

The Government has given the nod for establishing five centres on the lines of the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore. Two are to be set up this year in Kolkata and in Punjab with an investment of Rs. 500 crores each. Another IISc-type institute would come up in the South next year, followed by one in Central India in 2008.

Prof. Rao, who is the Chairman of the Science Advisory Council for the Prime Minister, stated that the council had recommended increased investment in education, to 6 per cent of the GDP, and to 2 per cent in science. The salaries of scientists needed to be improved to get best talent.

Delivering the lecture, he expressed concern at the decline in the country's contribution to world science from 8 to 10 per cent 15 years ago to 2.7 per cent now. "Unless we buck up, we will be in a worst situation", he warned. India's contribution was less than one per cent in the top one per cent of the cited research publications, while those from the US accounted for 63 per cent.

While universities had in the past contributed 50 to 60 per cent of the research, their share now had dwindled to a mere 5 per cent. The quantity of research produced by IITs was "pathetic". Prof. Rao observed that pre-eminence in science would determine pre-eminence in technology.

Plan panel nod to two more IISER

2006-11-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

Plan panel nod to two more schools of architecture
Akshaya Mukul
[ 23 Nov, 2006 0029hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

NEW DELHI: In what could be a major boost to aspiring architects and those keen to pursue pure sciences, Planning Commission has given in-principle agreement for two more schools of planning and architecture and an equal number of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research(IISER).
The plan panel's move would also come as a relief to those fearing that OBC reservation would limit opportunities for general category students. While giving the green signal for more SPAs and IISERs, Planning Commission rejected the HRD ministry’s proposal to set up 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) in the 11th Plan. The panel reasoned that such initiatives should come through public-private partnership.

In case of SPA also, the ministry had proposed four more institutes but the panel felt two would be enough in the next plan. However, the commission agreed with HRD ministry's demand for two more IISERs. Two IISERs are already functioning in Pune and Kolkata and a third is coming up near Chandigarh.
The two new IISERs will come up in central and south India. Locations have not yet been decided. "This will ensure that five IISERs are in place by the next plan. It will encourage science education and in the long run, will make up for the shortfall of qualified teachers for IITs and other engineering colleges," an official said.

Kerala wants central science institutes

2006-10-29T09:43:00.000-08:00

Kerala wants central science institutes

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Kerala has urged the central government to set up some of its proposed science research institutes in the state.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan reiterated the state's demand when he met C.N.R. Rao, scientific advisor to the prime minister, here Saturday.

Achuthanandan later told reporters that he had asked Rao to see that some of the science bodies proposed or under consideration, like the Institute of Science and Educational Research (ISER), Oceanarium, aqua parks and a Centre for Mollecular Research be set up in Kerala.

The ISER currently has a unit each in Pune and Kolkata.

Achuthanandan informed Rao that the state government would set aside 250 acres of land for the south India unit of the ISER.

Officials expected an announcement in this regard when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Kerala on Oct 31.

Dharitri on MP Braja Tripathy writing to PM on delay in the cabinet approval of NISER

2006-10-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

http://chitta.googlepages.com/20061028dharitriniserbrajatripathy1.pdf

http://chitta.googlepages.com/20061028dharitriniserbrajatripathy2.pdf

Excerpt from a mail received on Oct 25 2006

2006-10-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

(From a mail sent by a well established professor of Oriya origin from one of the Indian Institutes -- IITs/IISc)

Subject: NISER at Bhubaneswar

Dear Prof Baral

I came to know about your interest in higher education in orissa through
your writings on net.We were very disturbed for denial of The Indian
Institute of science like institution to orissa.Thanks to the efforts of
many from many places that a new institution was given to Bhubaneswar for
which me must thank our prime minister.It may be a blessing in disguise
that this institution will be funded through DAE.All the DAE institution
in the country are doing better than other institutions in India.
Prof Viyogi,The director of IOP,bhubaneswar and Prof Maharana,an
internationally known scientist are working feverishly for the project to
take shape.I was amazed to see the intensity and seriousness of these
scientists.If every thing goes well ,the Institute may start taking
students from 2007 session.

The DAE representatives,and Prof Viyogi and Maharana were on Site
selection trip a few days back all over Bhubaneswar staring from Naraj
till Jatni to identify about 200 to 300 acres of land suitable to establis
the institution.The secretary,higher education orissa,the director land
acquisition,the district collectors of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar were all
there along with a large number of revinue officials.The officials were
generally helpful.I wish the land acquisition prcess gets over soon so
that DAE can take the next step.I wish to state that things are happening
in orissa now on NISER front.

House panel to petition PM for NISER (NewIndPress Oct 14 2006)

2006-10-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

House panel to petition PM for railway update

Saturday October 14 2006 12:00 IST

BHUBANESWAR: An Assembly committee headed by Speaker Maheshwar Mohanty would visit New Delhi in November and meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demand more funds for the completion of ongoing railway projects in the State.

The committee, which met here on Friday under the chairmanship of Mohanty, would also submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding Rs 785 crore for the development and expansion of railway network in Orissa.

Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei and Minister for Steel and Mines Padmanabha Behera also attended the meeting. The meet also discussed about the progress on the proposed NISER in Bhubaneswar.
The panel sought a report from the Higher Education Department about the progress on the project.
Observing that funds earmarked by the Railways for the State were inadequate to complete the projects in time, the committee felt that funds should be made available to finish all ongoing projects within the next five years.

Noting that the Daitari-Banspani railway project is vital to the industrialisation of the State, the committee recommended that Rs 75 crore be provided for the line during 2006-07 fiscal.

The committee also demanded Rs 150 crore for the Haridaspur-Daitari railway line project which is a vital link between the mineral rich belt and the proposed steel projects in the coastal districts.

The demand of funds for other railway lines are Lanjigarh-Junagarh ( Rs 90 crore), Khurda-Balangir (Rs 90 crore), Angul-Sukinda (Rs 50 crore), Talcher-Bimlagarh (Rs 30 crore) and Nuapara-Bimlagarh (Rs 50 crore).

The panel has suggested that survey be conducted for Gopalpur-Rayagada, Jajpur-Keonjhar, Sambalpur-Birmaharajpur via Berhampur and Balangir-Nuapara railway lines.

NISER project report to be ready in a week

2006-10-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

NISER project report to be ready in a week
Braja Kishore Mishra Bhubaneswar
The project report of the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) will be ready within a week's time. Director of the Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Physics (IoP) YP Viyogi has disclosed this in an e-mail sent to Non-Resident Oriyas (NROs).

NROs like Chitta Baral of Arizona State University and Dhirendra Kar, vice-president of the Orissa Society of Americas and others have been constantly harping on the NISER issue. They were worried over the lack of information about the progress on the project.
Assuring them, Viyogi has said, "We realise the importance of the responsibility that IoP has to shoulder, and although we do not publicise our activity, we assure you that a lot of ground work has already been done and the project report will be ready within about a week's time."

He said that standards within the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) were very high and it was mandatory for the project report to be reviewed by a panel of experts. Such a panel had already been constituted by the Chairman of the IoP Governing Council and consisted of scientists and educationists from all the branches of science, which may be taught at the NISER.

The report will move further up for financial approval at the Atomic Energy Commission and the Union Cabinet immediately after such a review and approval by the IoP Governing Council, which is expected to be completed by the end of October.

Efforts will be made to make the NISER comparable to the IISERs and the input going into the project report consequently requires detailed work.
"We are also taking care of infrastructure needs to start the courses in the academic year 2007 and we are constantly in dialogue with the Orissa Government. Regarding the recruitment of faculty, which is a real concern for all of us, we have started the hunt through informal channels, both nationally and internationally," Viyogi said. He has assured the NROs that the NISER shall be able to attract the best of the faculty, because it has been planned to provide the most conducive research environment for the faculty.

He said IoP proposed to emphasise both on teaching and research simultaneously, as the synergy between the two was essential for sustained excellence in either. IoP is in the process of setting up a web page for the proposed institute and hopes to release this by the end of this month.

Dialogue has already been started with several superannuated scientists from various centres within the DAE family and outside for the immediate needs of the coming academic season. Arrangements have already been made for the girls' hostel within the IoP campus, while a discussion is on with the State Government for a hostel for boys.

Regarding the infrastructure requirements, IoP is fully aware of the needs, as the scientists of the institute were regularly visiting national and international laboratories of all types, including some of the top ones abroad like CalTech, Princeton and Ecole Polytechnique as well as all the educational and research institutes within the country, Viyogi added.

IISER Kolkata's ad to hire faculty (from Current Science)

2006-10-07T10:19:00.001-07:00

Centre yet to clear Orissa NISER: Reports The Pioneer

2006-10-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=BHUBANESWAR&file_name=bhub19%2Etxt&counter_img=19

Central Cabinet yet to okay Orissa NISER

2006-10-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

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.

NROs worried over tardy progress of NISER

2006-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Bhubaneswar:03/October/2006
Non Resident Orissans (NRO)s have expressed serious concern over the tardy progress on the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)front.

Establishment of NISER was announced by the prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on August 28 during his visit to Orissa.

Centre has announced to open 3 new IISERs in Pune, Kolkata and Chandigarh and the NISER in Bhubaneswar are going to be equivalent and will be like the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

There is a severe shortage of high quality scientists in India and all over the world.

Thus the new institutes that are more aggressive in recruiting these hard to find top-notch scientists will immediately rise to the top and the ones which are tardy and get bogged down in prolonged bureaucratic deliberations will stay in the bottom.

IISERs at Pune and Kolkota has started classes on August 16.

On NISER Bhubaneswar front the Orissa Government has given confused signals.

At various forums, it is down playing NISER as just an extension of the existing Institute of Physics while in other forums it has touted the establishment of NISER.

The Institute of Physics (IOP), which is funded by the department of atomic energy ( DAE), now finds itself in charge of the establishment of NISER but seems to be moving at a very slow pace.

According to sources of IOP it is planned to start classes in 2008, but the classes should open from 2007 it self.

Although, the lack of infrastructure raised by IOP are genuine , one must note the difference between the enthusiasm at Pune and Kolkota and contrast it with that of IOP Bhubaneswar

Originally proposed National Institute of Sciences (NIS) was overlooked, this institution's announcement happened only because of the grassroots efforts of Orissans all over the world.

Orissans wrote letters to the prime minister, had many peaceful dharanas, convinced the MPs and MLAs to protest in the Orissa Legislative Assembly and the Indian parliament, and wrote articles and op-eds in local and national papers.

Hence this institute has a very different origin than most central institutes that are created by central announcements with possible push by the respective state governments.

In case of NISER the people of Orissa are deeply and emotionally involved.

Accordingly worried over the delay, Dhirendra Kar, Vice President Orissa Society of the Americas in an open letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and DAE Secretary Dr.Anil Kakodkar.

He has urged upon to act together and do all that is necessary so that the NISER package is to receive green signal in the Union Cabinet at the earliest.

The Orissa government as well as IOP should immediately send a delegation to IISc Bangalore, TIFR Mumbai and IIESR Pune to quantify the infrastructurerequirements.

The Orissa government should provide temporary infrastructure so that IOP can immediately start hiring faculty, the hardest-to-get and the most important resource needed to make NISER a top-notch institution.

In particular, the Orissa government should offer space at one of its buildings.

The Orissa government should co-ordinate with the national institutions such as RRL (Regional Research Laboratory), RMRC (Regional Medical Research Center), ILS (Institute of Life Sciences), IMA (Institute of Math and Applications) and Utkal University so that faculty that are hired by IOP for NISER can have temporary laboratory space as well as housing quarters immediately.

They should take advantage of having TIFR as a sister organization in forming hiring committees and in recruiting from TIFR post-doctoral researchers and alumni.

They should think themselves as being in a race and do all that is necessary so that NISER is better than the IISERs in all respects; they should show how DAE is better at making a top-notch institution as compared to the HRD ministry.

Orissa government, IOP and DAE should issue a monthly progress report on NISER.

All these need to be done as soon as possible so as to make NISER a reality rather than a mirage like the AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.

Tardy progress of NISER worries NRIs: Pioneer

2006-10-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Tardy progress of NISER worries NRIs

Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar

Non-Resident Oriyas (NROs) have expressed serious concern over the tardy progress on the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) front. That the NISER would be established in Orissa was announced by Prime minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the State on August 28.

The Centre had announced that three new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) would be opened in Pune, Kolkata and Chandigarh and assured Orissa that the proposed NISER in Bhubaneswar would be equivalent to the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

There is a severe shortage of high quality scientists in India and all over the world. Thus, the new institutes that are more aggressive in recruiting them would find top-notch scientists to immediately rise to the top and the ones which are slow to come up and get bogged down in prolonged bureaucratic deliberations will stay in the bottom.

IISERs at Pune and Kolkota have started classes since August 16. On the NISER Bhubaneswar front, the Orissa Government has given confused signals. At various forums, it is downplaying NISER as just an extension of the existing Institute of Physics (IoP), while in other forums it has highlighted the proposed establishment of NISER. The IoP, which is funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), now it finds itself in charge of establishment of NISER, but the work in this regard seems to be moving at a very slow pace. According to sources in IoP, it is planned to start classes in 2008, but the classes should open from 2007 itself.

Although the question of lack of infrastructure raised by IoP is genuine, one must note the enthusiasm in Pune and Kolkota and its contrast at IoP in Bhubaneswar. The originally proposed National Institute of Sciences ( NIS) for Bhubaneswar was overlooked, while the announcement about NISER followed the hue and cry in Orissa and NROs. People of Orissa and NROs wrote letters to the Prime Minister, had many peaceful dharnas and lobbied with MPs and MLAs in support of establishment of the institute.

Now, worried over the delay, Dhirendra Kar, vice-president of the Orissa Society of the Americas, in an open letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and DAE Secretary Anil Kakodkar, has urged them to act together and do all that is necessary, so that the NISER package receives green signal from the Union Cabinet at the earliest. The State Government and the IoP should immediately send a delegation to IISc Bangalore, TIFR Mumbai and IIESR Pune to quantify the infrastructure requirements for the NISER, Kar has suggested.

The State Government should provide temporary infrastructure, so that the IoP can immediately start hiring faculty, which is the hardest-to-get and the most important resource needed to make the NISER a top-notch institution. In particular, the State Government should offer space at one of its buildings, he has advised. Besides, the State Government should coordinate with the national institutions such as RRL (Regional Research Laboratory), RMRC (Regional Medical Research Centre), ILS (Institute of Life Sciences), IMA (Institute of Math and Applications) and Utkal University, so that the faculty hired by the IoP for NISER can have temporary laboratory space as well as housing quarters immediately, Kar has added.

Open letter to the Orissa govt., IOP and DAE on the slow progress on NISER

2006-10-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Open letter to the Orissa government, Institute of Physics (IOP) and
the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on the slow progress of NISER
Bhubaneswar.

======================================================================

Dear Chief minister, IOP directors and DAE Chairman:
cmo@ori.nic.in, diroff@iopb.res.in, chmn@dae.gov.in

Subject: Slow progress on the NISER Front

It has been more than a month since the National Institute of
Science Education and Research (NISER) was announced by the prime
minister Dr. Manmohan Singh (on August 28th 2006) [1] during his
visit to Orissa. During his speech, the prime minister had said
"NISER will be at par with the IISER being established in other
places but will operate under the umbrella of DAE." Last week on
September 27th when inaugurating the third IISER in Punjab, the
prime minister mentioned [2] that "For the past century, India has
had only one national institute of excellence in Bangalore. In the
past one year, our Government has approved the creation of three new
institutes of the same standard. I have had the pleasure of laying
the foundation stone of a similar centre in Kolkata. The Department
of Atomic Energy is setting up a similar facility at Bhubaneswar."

Thus as far as the prime minister is concerned the 3 new IISERs in
Pune, Kolkata and Chandigarh and the NISER in Bhubaneswar are going
to be equivalent and will be like the Indian Institute of Science in
Bangalore.

However, how these institutions exactly turn out will depend a lot
on the implementation. In particular, there is a severe shortage of
high quality scientists in India and all over the world. Thus the
new institutes (among the 3 IISERs and NISER in Bhubaneswar) that
are more aggressive in recruiting these hard to find top-notch
scientists will immediately rise to the top and the ones which are
tardy and get bogged down in prolonged bureaucratic deliberations
will stay in the bottom.

In this regard let us mention what some of the IISERs have done so
far. The IISER in Pune and Kolkata were announced by the Prime
minister [3] on September 28th 2005. The union cabinet gave its
approval [4] of these two institutes on October 27th 2005. Both of
these IISERs started classes on August 16th 2006. IISER Pune
started classes [5] with 70 students at Pune's National Chemical
Laboratory (NCL) campus. In July 2006 IISER Pune project director
and NCL chief S. Sivaram said [5]: "The institute is at an embryonic
stage and NCL will provide support in the form of administration,
finance, engineering services as well as infrastructure." At that
time eminent scientist and the first director of IISER, Pune, K N
Ganesh said [5]: "The academic building of IISER, with more than
30,000 sq ft of built-up area will be ready in the next 15 months. A
100-room hostel, with twin accommodation will also be built on the
campus.’’

IISER Pune now has a web site [6] at http://www.iiserpune.ac.in.
They hired [7] 3 physics and 3 chemistry and biology full-time
faculty had appointed seven adjunct faculty before their classes
started in Aug 2006. They have now advertised [8] for additional
faculty positions in their web site. In other words IISER Pune is
well ahead of the pack.

Before IISER Punjab was formally announced [2] on Sept 27th 2006,
the deputy chief minister of Punjab, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who is
also in charge Minister of higher education had already visited [9]
IISc Bangalore and had met the faculty and management of that
institute to figure out infrastructure requirements for the IISER in
Punjab.

Coming back to the NISER Bhubaneswar the Orissa government has given
mixed signals. At some forums, it is playing down NISER as just an
extension of the existing Institute of Physics while in other forums
it has touted [10] the establishment of NISER. The Institute of
Physics (IOP), which is funded by the DAE, now finds itself in
charge of the establishment of NISER but seems to be moving at a
very slow pace. IOP was prodded by the DAE to start classes as soon
as possible, even this year. However they are worried about the
infrastructure, especially lack of hostel facilities for incoming
students at the B.Sc level, who will be much younger than the
current IOP students. They are thus thinking of starting classes in
2008. Although, the infrastructure issues raised by IOP are valid,
one must note the difference between the enthusiasm at Pune and
contrast it with that of IOP Bhubaneswar; while it took one year for
classes to start at IISER Pune and Kolkata, if IOP insists on its
slow pace, it will take two years for NISER to start classes. If
IISER Punjab starts classes next year then by virtue of starting
after the other three in people's mind NISER will start at the
bottom of the list.

In their tardy progress what both the Orissa government and the
Institute of Physics (IOP) are overlooking is that this institute is
very important for Orissa and the DAE; also after the originally
proposed National Institute of Sciences (NIS) was overlooked, this
institution's announcement happened only because of the grassroots
efforts [11] of Orissans all across Orissa as well as all over the
world. Orissans from New York to Tokyo to Sydney to Baripada and
Rourkela protested against the NIS move, wrote letters to the prime
minister, had many peaceful dharanas, convinced the MPs and MLAs to
protest in the Orissa assembly and the Indian parliament, and wrote
articles and op-eds in local and national papers. The issue was even
covered by the International Herald Tribune and several other
international newspapers. Hence this institute has a very different
origin than most central institutes that are created by central
announcements with possible push by the respective state
governments. In case of NISER the people were and are deeply and
emotionally involved. So the state government, the DAE and IOP must
realize that they are being closely watched and monitored regarding
the efforts they are putting in towards making this institute match
the vision of the people - aptly articulated by the prime minister
[1] as a "Mecca of science" like today's TIFR and IISc. With this
open letter they are being put on notice. All their activities
regarding NISER is being watched by the people, discussed and posted
at forums such as [12,13] http://niser-bbsr.blogspot.com/ and if
NISER does not achieve its vision in a timely manner, there will be
a living history that will depict who the culprits and slackers were
and Orissa will not forget them.

However, thinking positively we suggest that the following actions
be immediately taken:

(i) Since it took about a month from the announcement of the IISERs
in Pune and Kolkata (on September 28th 2005) to its approval on
October 27th 2005, and its already been a month since NISER was
announced, IOP and DAE should get their act together and do all that
is necessary so that the NISER package is at the cabinet at the
earliest. DAE is supposed to be a much more efficient organization
than the HRD ministry; how come their effort on NISER is behind the
schedule set by the IISERs?

(ii) If one thinks that a child is worthless and treats him/her that
way then the chances of that child becoming a productive citizen is
much lower. On the other hand if one treats the child as a treasure
with unlimited potential from the very beginning then there is very
high chance the child will grow up to be a productive citizen. Thus,
the Orissa government should stop downplaying NISER and saying that
NISER is just an extension of IOP. It should take the prime
minister's speech to heart, treat NISER as a treasure, work and push
towards making NISER better than the three IISERs, and help IOP to
create NISER as well as getting back to its (IOPs) original mission
and letting the grounded NISER become an independent (of IOP)
institution.

(iii) The Orissa government should help, through political efforts
(such as the CM meeting the PM if that becomes necessary) in getting
the NISER approved by the Indian cabinet as soon as possible, as it
is already behind the time table precedent set by IISER Pune and
Kolkata on this issue.

(iv) The Orissa government as well as IOP should immediately send a
delegation to IISc Bangalore, TIFR Mumbai and IIESR Pune to get an
idea on the infrastructure needs for the NISER Bhubaneswar.

(v) The Orissa government should help in providing temporary
infrastructure so that IOP can immediately start hiring faculty, the
hardest-to-get and the most important resource needed to make NISER
a top-notch institution. In particular, the Orissa government should
offer space at one of its building (such as the Fortune tower) and
offer some of its modular temporary buildings that it loans to IT
companies, in case IOP will need them. The Orissa government should
co-ordinate with the nearby institutions such as RRL (Regional
Research Laboratory), RMRC (Regional Medical Research Center), ILS
(Institute of Life Sciences), IMA (Institute of Math and
Applications) and Utkal University so that faculty that are hired by
IOP for NISER can have temporary laboratory space as well as housing
quarters immediately.

(vi) DAE and IOP should immediately do whatever is necessary so that
they can start hiring faculty for NISER immediately. They should
take advantage of having TIFR as a sister organization in forming
hiring committees and in recruiting from TIFR post-doctoral
researchers and alumni. They should think themselves as being in a
race and do all that is necessary so that NISER is better than the
IISERs in all respects; they should show how DAE is better at making
a top-notch institution as compared to the HRD ministry.

(vii) With the help of Orissa government, and other institutions in
Bhubaneswar (ILS, RMRC, RRL etc.), IOP and DAE should try their best
to start classes in 2007. In the worst case if they are not able to
do that, they should hire enough faculty beforehand, and have their
research publicized that NISER does not become the last (behind the
three IISERs) in the people's mind.

(viii) Orissa government, IOP and DAE should issue a monthly
progress report on NISER so that the people all over the world who
are watching for this institute to become a top institution know the
progress, know that proper efforts are being put in a timely manner,
and know any issues where they can be of help.

All these need to be done as soon as possible so as to make NISER a
reality rather than a mirage like the AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, whose
foundation stone was laid by the then PM in July 15 2003, and all
that is there now are boundary walls. Plus, with the three IISERs
progressing ahead, slow progress on NISER will show Orissa, IOP, and
the DAE in a negative light.

sincerely,

hundreds of concerned Orissans all over the world

[1] http://pmindia.nic.in/lspeech.asp?id=379

[2] http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=21005

[3] http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=12305

[4] http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=12975

[5] http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=193818

[6] http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/

[7]
http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/files/facultyandstaff/images/Faculty.pdf

[8] http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/files/facultyandstaff/jobopenings.htm

[9] http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/1356/38/

[10] http://rc.orissa.gov.in/index3.asp?linkid=30&sublinkid=169

[11] http://iiser.blogspot.com/

[12] http://niser-bbsr.blogspot.com/

[13] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nis_iiser/

PM’S REMARKS AT THE FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY OF IISER at Mohali, Punjab

2006-09-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, laid the foundation stone for Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Mohali, Punjab today.

Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s remarks on the occasion:

“I am delighted to be here today to lay the Foundation Stone for a new temple of learning in Punjab, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research. I sincerely believe – and it is my earnest hope – that this institute will take Punjab to a new horizon in science teaching and research. For the past century, India has had only one national institute of excellence in Bangalore. In the past one year, our Government has approved the creation of three new institutes of the same standard. I have had the pleasure of laying the foundation stone of a similar centre in Kolkata. The Department of Atomic Energy is setting up a similar facility at Bhubaneswar. It is now the turn of Punjab to claim its rightful place in the evolving knowledge economy in India and to become a first ranking State in science education and scientific and technological research.

I am confident that this quantum leap in high quality science education will herald a new era in the development of modern science in India. The charter of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research is to emerge as world-class institutions, both for undergraduate as well post-graduate education in science, with an intellectually alive atmosphere for research. In these institutions, education will be totally integrated with cutting edge research in various disciplines of modern sciences.

I believe there is an urgent need in our country to revitalize and expand opportunities at every level of the education pyramid. From the apex, at which there will be institutions such as the IISER, to the base consisting of primary schools. While primary education is our major concern, ignoring tertiary and higher education is fraught with great perils. It is our Government’s commitment to increase the allocation of funds for education to 6% of GDP. We hope to effect a substantial increase in allocation for the higher education in the next Five Year Plan. Our aim is to widen access to education for all, and at the same time, promote excellence. I do not see any contradiction between these twin aims of our education policy.

Even though we are not a rich nation our higher education system has had very rich and proud traditions. This is especially true in Natural Sciences. With institutions like IISERs, we hope to provide high quality scientific manpower to research organizations in the Government as well as in the private sector. India has had a long and deeply rooted tradition of research within the University system. We had a great University in Nalanda and in more recent history, Calcutta, Madras, Bombay and Allahabad universities were cradles of good research. Frontline scientific research was carried out within the university premises. However, for a variety of reasons we seem to have lost this tradition in recent decades. Universities have become overcrowded with a lot of teaching but very little research. We expect IISERs to help us bridge this gap.

At the moment, our universities have to deal with very large numbers, with little time, space and energy left for doing research. Consequently, we have slipped into a system wherein research is confined to national institutions. There is virtually no organic link between colleges, universities and research institutions. This is unhealthy. Universities are the places where knowledge is living and young students must be given access to the ambience of research. I hope the IISER stimulates the intellectual curiosity of our young minds, in Punjab and across the country.

Since Independence, we have established several scientific research institutions, expanded R&D facilities and produced first-rate work, comparable to the best in the world. However, there is a decline in the new recruits entering these organizations. These recruits have to come out of our university system. We will strengthen the University system even as we set up new national institutions such as this. We will ensure greater investment from all sources to ensure an expansion of the University system. We will attract more private capital into our Universities while we step up public investment. In a few years, our Government wants India to become not only a generator of knowledge but also a source of knowledgeable workers.

For a variety of reasons our creative young minds are not opting for careers in basic sciences. Science is losing out to other more “lucrative” disciplines even at the school level. It is important to offer the best of our students an exciting and stimulating research environment in colleges and universities. Our endeavour to create these new Institutes of Science Education and Research is a step in this direction. I congratulate the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Department of Science and Technology for the good work they have done in setting up these institutes.

I am sure this institute will revitalize science education and research in Punjab and neighbouring states.

I am delighted that the first of the five National Institutes of Public Health is being set up here in Mohali by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) in collaboration with the Government of Punjab. The Institute would train over 1000 healthcare professionals annually. I hope that this would be an important milestone in our efforts towards improving healthcare delivery systems for the poor. I congratulate the Chief Minister and the Government of Punjab as well as Mr. Harpal Singh and others of the Public Health Foundation of India on this happy occasion.

Punjab has been at the forefront of the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution was made possible not only because of the efforts of the dynamic farmers of Punjab but also because of the excellent research work done by the Punjab Agricultural University. This work backed up by the first-rate extension system in the state, enabled the farmers to usher in what was then seen as a miracle. A miracle made possible by the application of knowledge and technology. I pay tribute to Late Pratap Singh Kairon. The role of M.S. Randhawa, Vice Chancellor is also commendable.

We need much more of that today in agriculture and in other spheres of activity. Punjab needs to be in the vanguard of the knowledge revolution that is sweeping across the country and the world. I do believe that the application of modern science and technology to agriculture will have a significant impact on the income of farmers and on rural development. Our agricultural economy must become more knowledge-based so that we can increase the productivity of our farms and the incomes of our farmers. The Chief Minister has ambitious plans for promoting nanotechnology in the state. I am told that a Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology is being set up in Mohali. Punjab needs many more such centres in all spheres. Let IISER usher in a new era of institution building – institutions for the creation of knowledge; institutions for creating knowledge workers. Let there be many more institutions of higher learning in the state – both public and private. We will stand by and support the state in all its efforts.

I wish the people of Punjab, especially the young people of this great, progressive state a golden future”.

Arjun wants IISERs for MP, Kerala

2006-09-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 26: When Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh lays the foundation stone for the third Indian Institute for Science Education and Research (IISER) in Mohali tomorrow, his Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Arjun Singh is expected to pitch for two more — one in home state Madhya Pradesh and another in Kerala, ruled by the friendly Left.

“The HRD minister has already written to the Planning Commission to allocate funds for the two IISERs in the XIth Five-Year Plan,” a source told The Indian Express.

Sources said Singh, citing PM’s scientific adviser Prof C N R Rao’s recent outburst that Indian science will be finished in the next five years, wrote to the PM that “our universities have dried up and the country left with very few scientists”. He cited examples of smaller countries like Singapore and Taiwan, who have overtaken India in this regard, as said the Government considers science as a budget item, and a non-productive expenditure.

Making a case for the new IISERs, the minister apparently cited Rao’s letter, where he has said the need-of-the-hour is to revive science education and research by building speciality institutions.

As there has been no word from the Planning Commission yet, Singh is expected to cease the opportunity tomorrow when the PM goes with him to lay the foundation stone for the third IISER in Punjab. It may be recalled that after the IISERs in Kolkata and Pune, the PM had expressed interest in setting up the third one at Punjab, months before the state goes for Assembly polls.

However, it remains to be seen how Dr Singh responds to the HRD minister’s proposal to set up the two IISERs in Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram. Singh, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, is keen to “gift” a national institute to his home state and another to his Leftist “friends” who pushed for his OBC quota bill in the UPA-Left coordination committee in May, despite widespread agitations across the country. His bonhomie with the Left leaders is evident as he recently convinced the UPA regime to grant legitimacy to Bengal’s derecognised teachers’ training colleges through an ordinance.

shubhajit.roy@expressindia.com

IISER in Pune and Kolkata were called NISER before

2006-09-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

The HRD annual report of 2005-06 on higher education(page 238) talks about IISERs in Pune and Kolkata. It says that the SAC-PM initially called them as NISERs.
Interesting!!

The complete annual report is at
http://www.education.nic.in/AR2005-06/AR2005-06-English.pdf

A May 2006 article on where IISERs were then

2006-09-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

2 science institutes, one IIM: Wrapped in red tape, plan kept in deep freeze

Shubhajit Roy

Posted online: Monday, May 29, 2006 at 0000 hrs Print Email

HRD Delay: Kolkata and Pune premier institutes plan to start from temporary premises, with borrowed faculty

NEW DELHI, MAY 28:While HRD Minister Arjun Singh works on his Cabinet note on how to increase seats and upgrade infrastructure in premier educational institutions as per the Government’s OBC quota formula, chances are the note may skip his Ministry’s dismal record on this task.

Two premier institutes of science education, announced in March last year, are at least three years away. And eight months after it was decided that there will be a new Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong, the project is yet to be cleared by the Finance Ministry.

This assumes significance given that seat increase is being used as a sweetener to the bitter quota pill despite a chorus of criticism on the “crude” manner in which the decision has been taken. C N R Rao, the PM’s chief scientific advisor, told The Indian Express this week how he had not even been consulted before the “stupendous” decision was taken.

Ironically, it was Rao who headed the panel that in March 2005 decided to set up two Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), in Kolkata and Pune, at the cost of Rs 500 crore each.

The goal is ambitious: two high-quality research institutions exclusively offering Bachelor’s and Master’s programme in sciences to attract the best of 10+2 talent. And direct PhD programmes in frontier areas of science research. Student strength: 2,000 over the next five years, with 200-strong faculty.

But consider the progress:

• Neither institute has a permanent campus nor permanent faculty.

• Despite this, the HRD Ministry is trying to push through the first batch from this July in “makeshift and temporary locations”.

• In Kolkata, for example, classes for the first batch of 70-odd students, selected via the IIT entrance exam, will be held in the Kolkata campus of IIT Kharagpur.

• With no hostel ready, students will stay in nearby campus of National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research (NITTTR) at Salt Lake.

• “We have just started the process of acquiring land (200 acres) in Kalyani (a Kolkata suburb), and hope to complete the modalities soon,” said IIT (Kharagpur) director Shishir K Dube, who is the project-director for setting up IISER (Kolkata).

• Its counterpart in Pune, too, is in a hurry to start the first batch in August at the “temporary location” in National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune. “About 100 acres, adjacent to the NCL, have been acquired recently. But no work on the construction of the campus has started yet,” sources said.

• Classes for the first Pune batch will initially start in a two-storied building at NCL’s Innovation Park. “Construction of new buildings will take nearly three years to complete,” sources said. NCL (Pune) director Dr S Sivaram, who is the project director for IISER (Pune), was unavailable for comment.

• No permanent faculty have been hired yet. Said Dube: “We will get faculty members from various institutes in Kolkata, like the Jadavpur University, IIT (Kharagpur) and S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences to teach the students.” Pune, too, will draw faculty from NCL and local colleges.

So how long will it take? “Only after we acquire land in Kalyani, will we invite tenders and architects and then we will know whether it will take two or three years to construct the campus,” Dube said.

That’s not the only hurdle. The two institutes are to be formed by establishing a registered society which has to be followed by an Act of Parliament declaring them as “Institutes of National Importance.” Progress on drafting that law? No one in the Ministry is willing to hazard a guess.

For the IIM in Shillong, the news is worse. On June 15, 2004, Arjun Singh had called a meeting of North-Eastern states where it was decided to set up the seventh IIM in the region. A three-member panel, formed that November, comprised Secretary (Higher Education), Secretary (Development of North-Eastern Region) and Indian Institute of Management (Calcutta) Director. It chose Shillong.

The Rs 100-crore project has not yet been cleared by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) of the Union Ministry and land is yet to be acquired although the Meghalaya government had identified the 100 acres. with Rituparna Bhuyan, Pune

shubhajit.roy@expressindia.com

(NewIndiaExpress) NISER: PM’s announcement hailed by teachers, students

2006-08-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

NISER: PM’s announcement hailed by teachers, students
Wednesday August 30 2006 12:09 IST

BHUBANESWAR: The teachers and the student community have hailed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s announcement of establishing a National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) here.

‘‘It’s a long cherished dream fulfilled,’’ said a beaming Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University L N Mishra. ‘‘Orissa has struggled hard to get its due. Finally, students will get an opportunity to avail of cutting edge research facilities on the home turf,’’ Mishra added.

He hoped that the institute would spur increased research activities in the State and generate employment opportunities. ‘‘Besides, we expect good work on fundamentals in areas like Physics and Chemistry,’’ he said.

Expressing satisfaction over the announcement, IIT aspirant Jugal Bagga said students interested in basic research activities could bank on the institute.

NISER will impart five-year integrated M.Sc courses in core and emerging branches of science after Plus Two. Integrated M.Sc/PhD programmes after graduation will also be offered.

While announcing its establishment, the Prime Minister said emphasis would be laid on generating scientific manpower of high quality that could directly find placement in various R&D centres in the country as well as the industry.

The course curriculum will be at par with that adopted by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research but with emphasis on branches of science relevant for better utilisation of natural resources. The course will be designed especially keeping in mind the mineral reserves in the State and its marine resources.

Students will be given reasonable stipend and time for research activities. Campus interviews and placement, either in job securing centres like BARC, and IGCAR or PhD giving centres like TIFR and Indian Institute of Sciences is also in the offing.

The project will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the existing infrastructure of Institute of Physics and an additional 30 acres of land in an adjoining location will be utilised to start courses in select subjects like Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry and Biology.

In the second phase, 200 acres of land will be acquired within the City limits and then the activities will be expanded to new domains commensurate with the socio-economic needs of the region.

Agamee Odisha thanks the PM

2006-08-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

On the eve of Prime Minister's visit to Odisha and his plans to
announce the setting up of NIS/IISER in Bubaneswar, Agamee Odisha
welcomed Dr. Manmohan Singh with a sand art by none other than Mr.
Sudarshan Pattanaik, the renowned sand-artist. The event marked many
firsts - the Prime Minister's first time visit to Odisha, Mr
Sudarshan Pattanaik's first sand art in Bhubaneswar which is nearly
75 km. away from the sea beach, and last but the most important the
first victory for Agamee Odisha and the victory of a civil society
movement after a long time to see some impact in terms of
influencing the Central Govt. Agamee Odisha, a civil society
movement group, has been demanding since long to set up an NIS/IISER
in Orissa in accordance with an announcement by the Ministry of HRD
and the President of India in December, 2003. However, Government
of India has been silent on the issue since then and went ahead to
set up IISERS in Kolkata and Pune. This belied the hopes of many
Oriyas. Agamee Odisha took up the cause to fight for it by
organizing student rallies and intellectual rallies throughout
Orissa and in New Delhi. The recent news about the announcement of
setting up the institute in Orissa during the Prime Minister's visit
to the state has brought joys to the people of Orissa. To mark the
occasion, Agamee Odisha celebrated the day as a Victory Day through
a sand art of Dr. Singh by Mr. Sudarshan Pattanaik thanking him for
the decision and urging him to give the institute not less than an
IISER's status.

Aug 17 news about IISER Kolkata

2006-08-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

IISER to come up in Kolkata

Monideepa Banerjie

Thursday, August 17, 2006 (Kolkata):

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research or IISER at Kolkata is one of three government institutes being set up to give science education in the country a boost.

They are being called the IITs for science. The last time such a premier institute was set up was in 1909, IISc in Bangalore.

The IISER campus will be set up 60 km away at Kalyani by 2008.

On offer is a five-year masters degree, not just in physics, chemistry or biology but in integrated sciences.

"Today we are confronted with the absurd situation that a biology student cannot take mathematics, chemistry is partitioned into physical, organic and inorganic as if they are separate disciplines altogether. We need to integrate all this and break all barriers to knowledge," said Dutta Gupta, Director, IISER.

First batch

IISER's first batch consists of 40 students who topped the IIT entrance exam but chose to pursue pure science instead of engineering.

"Somehow, science has become a disenchanted subject. This is very bad. Just by technology we can't compete with the technology of tomorrow," said Bikash Sinha, Director, SNIP & VECC.

"We can create the technology of tomorrow only by science. IISER in that sense is a step forward to fill in that lacunae," Sinha added.

Besides Kolkata, Pune and Chandigarh will also have IISERs, each with a budget of Rs 500 crore for the first five years. Rs 1500 crore is a lot of money but a small price to pay for a turnaround in the country's rather gloomy scientific temper.

A survey has found that only nine per cent of school students want to study science at college.

Bhattal begins exercise for Mohali centre of IISER Banglore

2006-08-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

CHANDIGARH: Deputy Chief Minister Punjab Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who is incharge Minister of higher education had series of meeting with the management and faculty members of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Banglore to analyse infrastructure requirements for institute being set up at Moahli in Punjab.

An official spokesman said Bhattal had visited Banglore on August 23 last. The objective was to study the basic structure and academic atmosphere of the first Science Institute of India so that the beginning of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research could be made on firm foundation of academic freedom and administrative autonomy. It is interesting to note that the Govt. of India has approved the setting up of fourth Science Institute in Mohali to promote learning and research in science and technology.

Professor P. Balaram, Director of the institute and Prof. N. Balakrishnan, Associate Director of the Institute and all faulty members, welcomed the Deputy Chief Minister and made a presentation about the history and working of the Institute. Originally set up by Jamshedji Tata in 1896, the Institute grew and developed in its distinct character over the years becoming a national institute for imparting education and research in science. Smt. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal felt proud and privileged having a close look of the Institute and congratulated the management and faculty members for pioneering work which resulted the economic development of the country. She further explained that the present 9% growth of economy had its foundation laid in the premises of such Institutes.

The proposed institute in Mohali shall be the fourth after Banglore, Kolkata and Pune. The Deputy Chief Minister further stated that the Institute shall have main academic programmes in major areas in Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences and Computer Science. In addition to the above programmes the Institute would also admit post Doctoral fellows. When fully established, total strength of the Integrated M.Sc. programme in the Institute would be 1,000 and of the doctoral and post doctoral programme about 1,055. Ultimately the Institute will thus have a student strength of 2,055.

Deputy Chief Minister further stated that suitable site for the Institute has been selected in Mohali. The total requirement of land for this project is 200 acres and total project cost other than land is Rs. 500 crores. Keeping in view the significance of the project and eagerness of Punjab Government, the Prime Minister of India is likely to lay the foundation stone of the Institute on 27th of September, 2006.

PM Manmohan Singh announces the setting up of National Institute of Science Education and Research at Bhubaneswar

2006-08-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=20345

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, announced the setting up of National Institute of Science Education and Research at Bhubaneswar today.

Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s speech on the occasion:

“I am truly delighted to be here in Bhubaneshwar today at the Institute of Physics. I have great affection and regard for the people of Orissa whose contribution to the history, culture and economy of our nation are second to none. I am particularly delighted that my first visit to this State is associated with the announcement of the establishment of the National Institute of Science Education and Research. This is the fulfillment of a promise to the people of Orissa. Our Government is genuinely committed to the development of Orissa and to the educational empowerment of the people of Orissa. The National Institute of Science Education and Research will be a symbol of that commitment.

I share the concern being expressed by many of our scientists that our best minds are not turning to science, and those who do, do not remain in science. I am told that less than 3% of school children want to pursue a career in science. We must find ways of making these disciplines more attractive to children. We have to improve the quality of teaching of science and mathematics at the school level. Countries like China and South Korea are far ahead of us in investing in science and technology. We need to do much more in this vital area if we have to keep pace with the evolving global economy of the future.

We have to take urgent steps to prevent scientifically talented persons from moving away from careers in scientific research and development. This is happening at the 10+2 level and at the B.Tech. level. Most of our universities are performing sub-optimally. They lack good infrastructure and suffer from acute faculty shortage. There is not enough interaction between our academia and industry. Many technologies developed for our rural areas have not been delivered properly. We will need to address these on a war footing.

I am also concerned about the regional imbalance in science teaching and the development of science and technology in India. There was a time when the East was at the forefront. Today the East is lagging behind the South and the West. We need to redress this regional imbalance. It is to meet these challenges that we will be setting up the National Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhubaneswar.

As India moves up the technology ladder and improves its relative competitive status in the global domain, the need for capable innovative scientists will increase. Our higher education programs should empower young science students to engage not only in advanced research but also in domains which facilitate translation of research results into development of new technologies and their commercial deployment. This requires acquisition of necessary experimental skills and familiarity with the realities of practical world.

There is a strong synergy between research and higher education. Co-existence of both leads to higher excellence in both. It provides opportunities for students to be exposed to excitements in scientific research and benefit from teachers who are themselves engaged in expanding the horizons of knowledge. Such participation in teaching also benefits researchers by way of greater clarity of thought and availability of students to broaden support to research activity.

The National Institute of Science Education and Research will facilitate this synergy between research and higher education. The major strength of Institute of Physics is a strong emphasis on the quality of the faculty and its present pre-doctoral and doctoral programs are among the best in the country. The faculty is composed of all world-renowned scientists who are also established teachers. Association with the Institute of Physics will enable the National Institute of Science Education and Research to draw upon this outstanding tradition and expand it further to cater to a much larger pool of science students. NISER will be at par with the IISER being established in other places but will operate under the umbrella of DAE. It will undertake integrated 5-year Masters courses in core and emerging branches of science to provide world-class education to students after the 10+2 stage. It can also include an integrated M.Sc.–Ph.D. after graduation level.

The emphasis of education at NISER will be to generate scientific trained manpower of a very high quality which could directly find placement across the country. Greater emphasis will be on branches of science relevant to the Department of Atomic Energy and also catering to the better exploitation and utilization of Orissa’s regional natural resources. Orissa’s mineral and marine resources will be taken into consideration in designing training programs of students here.

While working within the DAE family and awarding degrees under the Homi Bhabha National Institute [HBNI], which is already a Deemed University for post-graduate studies, NISER will be an institute at par with the best in the country in terms of facilities and faculty. It will have a research to teaching load as practiced in the best universities in the world. This will ensure world class education and also attract the best researchers. It will have world-class experimental facilities in all the current and emerging branches of science including physics, chemistry, modern biology and environmental sciences. We will provide enough resources to DAE to convert this into reality within a very short time frame.

In order to attract bright young students to this integrated course, it is proposed to make the course challenging on a world-class level, give reasonable stipend to the students and also allow them time for research activities even during their student days. There will be campus interviews and placements at both research centers and in industry in order to make the course more attractive to the students in the present competitive environment of market forces which drives them to IT-related jobs.

I am told that this project will be quickly completed in two phases. In Phase-I, additional courses will be started immediately in 3 or 4 selected subjects like physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology with existing faculty and new faculty. In Phase-II, 200 acres of land will be acquired around Bhubaneswar and activities expanded on a larger scale. When completed, I am confident that the National Institute of Science Education and Research will become a Mecca for science just as TIFR and IISc are today.

With our recent unprecedented economic growth, I am optimistic that India will become a ‘developed country’ in the not too distant future. In this process, Science & Technology will continue to play a major role. Since independence, there has been a great deal of progress in our S&T system. This is evident from the success of the mission-oriented S&T agencies, like the family of DAE institutions, that have made our nation proud.

However, I am aware that we must increase our expenditure on Science & Technology. India’s expenditure on S&T is about 1% of our GDP. This is half of what developed countries are devoting to S & T. The Government is committed to increasing R&D funding. For the last few years, we have been allocating larger budgets for R&D. For example, last year, we increased it by 20%. We shall strive to reach the target of 2% in the 11th Plan. But I also expect the private sector to do more in this area. We also need more public- private partnership in R&D in all areas of S&T.

One way of making careers in science and technology attractive would be to improve remuneration and ensure the integrity of selection processes. It is well known that the initial starting salary for scientists with a PhD in India is often lower than those of Engineers, Doctors and Management graduates. It is obvious that if talented young people are to be retained in science, scientists have to be treated differently than other Government employees in service and salary matters.

The Government will be happy to provide career support for students talented in science for a reasonable period, including into their initial employment years, to attract such students to scientific research. There is also a need to develop a more productive interface between the National Laboratories and the University system. Proximate national laboratories could supplement the faculty both for undergraduate and post-graduate courses in universities and colleges. Private sector enterprises should also be able to create centres for their product innovation and development in proximate national laboratories and universities.

I would like to reaffirm our my commitment to the growth and modernization of Indian science and technology institutions. The establishment of the National Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhubaneswar is one more symbol of this commitment. I hope this institution will emerge as a center of creative teaching and research and contribute to our national development. Orissa has produced many great scientists of India such as Jogesh Chandra Pati. I hope this institution will produce many more in the years to come. I wish you all the best in all your endeavours.”

Sl. No.	Category of Post	No. of position	Tenure
1	Chief Administrative-cum-Finance Officer	One	Initial assignment for one year only, which is extendable depending upon performance of the candidate and the requirement of the Project.
2	Administrative Officer	One
3	Accounts Officer	One
4	Cashier	One
5	Hostel Superintendent	One
6	Office Assistant	Four