Bihar Writes to Center for an IISER

Science & Technology Department has initiated a major program to revitalize Science & Technology in Bihar and to prepare the state for evolving technological requirements of the future. Other element of this program is to increase quality output of technically competent resources to meet the emerging requirements of the national economy in particular and global economy in general. Recent move to submit a demand for an IISER to federal government is one of the important reference points in the effort to bring many more such institutions to the state.

The driving motive behind this initiative is to harness the immense economic benefit by making state the hub of skilled and knowledge manpower resources. Underlying this immense possibility for such institutions is the observed large-scale migration out of state for technical education and a good presence of resources from the state in research institutions in other states and even in other countries. It is short of awakening to the fact that even without presence of a single good research institution or academic institution, state has been producing such a vast pool of highly qualified resources. State’s potential in this segment can be tapped more effectively by locating these institutions nearer home so as to create a better awareness and make access to these institutions more affordable.

Given the demand–supply gap, and states enabling policies, the economic viability of even a large number of privately funded institutions is possible and the same is reflected in the number of leading educational trusts and renowned world universities approaching the state government .

Till now, one of the important cogs in the scheme of things, that is, seeding the high quality national institutions in the state has been a glaring omission. It is matter of grave concern that federal government of India has failed to do justice to the state in this regard. Leadership at center level has been mostly engaged in patronizing and addressing their constituency at the cost of national exchequer. Some time in this process even jeopardizing the overall national interest. On the one hand there are states where national exchequer was used to create entire institutional and economic infrastructure to make them a shining example of Indian growth story, on the other hand there are states which lacks even a vestige of such national institutions and economic infrastructure. Sadly, that also includes the third most populous state of the country which is home to 8% of national population.


In this regard the initiative taken by BB over the last few years for an IISER has been quite a commendable act. This lacuna has been brought to the fore and in the public domain. Now the things have started gathering pace at state level as can be seen in the recent actions and pronouncements of Commissioner & Secretary of Science and Technology Department. Federal administration can not take any alibi for the lack of initiative from state now. Ball is firmly in the court of the federal government now. Would they be able to deliver to state a fair share of 20 research centers (out of a total of above 250 such research centers across the country) or for that matter 12 national academic institutions(out of over 175 such institutions under various ministries), it is yet to be seen. However, if national leadership takes care for restoring parity to the state by allocating over 40 of centrally funded autonomous institutions ( out of total of over 433 as Per expenditure committee report 2004-05 or CAG report which states the number above 499 in year 1998-99 report), state will definitely be a much improved place for its denizens.