After Kolkata & Pune, PM pushes for 3rd science institute in Punjab

In a significant step forward towards building education infrastructure—in the wake of the quota controversy—the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has got a green signal to set up a new Indian Institute of Science...

In a significant step forward towards building education infrastructure—in the wake of the quota controversy—the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has got a green signal to set up a new Indian Institute of Science for Education and Research (IISER) in Punjab.

Sources told The Indian Express that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is key to this move—two IISERs are already in the making in Kolkata and Pune.

“The PM has been very keen to have this institute ready by the next academic session so the approvals are coming faster than usual,’’ a source in the HRD ministry confirmed.

The approval from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), asked to examine the feasibility of the project, came about a fortnight ago, sources said. CSIR’s head of Research and Development (R&D) and Planning, Naresh Kumar has informed the HRD ministry that it was ‘‘feasible to set up an IISER in Punjab at the cost of Rs 500 crores.’’ The state government has been asked to identify 100 acres. It will have about 2,000 students and 200 faculty. Like the other two IISERs, it will also offer Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD programmes in science research, the students selected via the IIT entrance. The proposal will go to the Oversight Committee which is working out a roadmap for upgrade in the higher education sector, in order to offset the impact of 27 pc OBC quotas.