Indian Leather Development Programme launched for the XI Plan Period

60 CRORE OUTLAY FOR TRAINING NON-TRADITIONAL WORKERS IN RURAL AREA

In view of the importance of the leather sector for economy and social equity, GOI has approved an ambitious plan with an outlay of Rs. 912.67 crore namely “Indian Leather Development Programme” with emphasis on Infrastructure Development, Capacity Building & Human Resource Development, Investment Promotion and Environmental Issues for the industry for implementation during XI plan period. In order to meet the growing demand of leather technologist, workers and designers, 3 new institutes on the pattern of FDDI Noida would be set up at Chennai, Rohtak and Kolkata with an outlay of Rs. 96.69 crore each. FDDI at Rohtak would be developed as a world class design institute. The institutes would be operational from the academic year 2011-12. HRD Mission with an outlay of Rs. 60 crore would target training of non-traditional potential work force in the rural areas. This project would train and prepare individuals in the rural areas in cutting, skiving and stitching and would place atleast 75% of those trained in the industry. It also includes skill up-gradation programs for workers of organized & un-organized sector. The scheme ‘Support to Artisan’ with an outlay of Rs. 40 crore would provide design support, corpus of revolving funds for obtaining bulk raw material, grant based livelihood support, marketing support/linkages and also bank linkages with an objective to ensure better and higher returns to the artisans. Under ‘Saddlery Development’ Rs. 10 crore has been allocated for providing R&D support to the Saddlery and harness. In order to enable industries to cope with the stringent pollution control norms, an allocation of Rs. 200 crores has been made in the XI Five Year Plan to meet environmental concerns. Such projects for addressing environmental concerns would be funded with 50% grants from Central Government, 15% from State Government and balance 35% from the Industry. The industry would bear the entire Operation and Maintenance costs. World-class infrastructure is the key to globally competitive leather industry and a Leather Tanning Complex would be set up at Nellore during XI Plan by State Government of A.P with support of Rs 29 crore from GOI. With an aim to enhance capacity and increase investment in the sector the scheme “Integrated Development of Leather Sector” (IDLS), a scheme for providing capital subsidy for modernization of leather units has been modified, allowing assistance to new units and raising the limit of subsidy to Rs. 2 crores from the existing Rs. 50 lakh per unit. A provision of Rs.253.43 crores is provided in the XI plan for the purpose. Indian Leather industry is an important component of Indian Manufacturing sector. The sector is labor intensive, with 30% of the work force being women and majority of workers from weaker section. The sector thus has strong linkage with rural economy and high impact on social equity.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=41708&kwd=

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Lays Foundation Stone for its First Residential Campus at Jaipur

To usher in a new facility for the Chartered Accountants, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, ICAI, has laid the Foundation Stone for its first residential campus - “Centre of Excellence” at Jaipur. The Foundation Stone was laid by Union Minister of Corporate Affairs, Shri Prem Chand Gupta yesterday. Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje was the Chief Guest at the ceremony. Highlighting the importance of the 'Centre of Excellence' Shri Ved Jain, President, ICAI, said that it will not only provide residential training to students, as part of their articleship, but will also provide a research hub in accounting and other related areas. He said that the Centre of Excellence at Jaipur would be an international landmark in the field of education and training. The Centre will also help to meet the demands of neighboring countries and other parts of the world for training their accountants. The Centre will have a number of facilities including a Centre for Research and a Centre for Post-qualification courses. The Centre of Excellence will also have Auditoriums, Meeting Rooms, Conference Rooms, Computer Lab and a Sports Complex. It will also prove to be a boon to Rajasthan as it will place the state on the national and global accountancy map, support the Govt. on accounting and finance related reforms in different tiers of Governance and improve the quality of commerce education in the state.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=42703&kwd=

Shri Prem Chand Gupta lays the Foundation Stone for Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

Shri Prem Chand Gupta, Minister for Corporate Affairs, today laid the Foundation Stone of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs at Manesar, Haryana. Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana and Shri Anurag Goel, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Director General & Chief Executive Officer of the Institute were also preset on the occasion.The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, has established the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs as a holistic think tank, capacity building, service delivery Institute to help corporate growth, reforms and regulation through synergised knowledge management, global partnerships and real time solutions. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. An outlay of Rs. 211 crore has been made in the current Five Year Plan for the Institute. The IICA building is estimated to cost around Rs. 110 crores. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Prem Chand Gupta said that though the world is passing through a difficult phase of economic and financial crisis, in India the pressure on the financial systems has been considerably reduced due continuous monitoring and timely steps. To avoid such crisis the Government as well as the Corporate sector must develop capacity to foresee such crisis and take corrective action well in advance. A mechanism needs to be created through which the Government, Regulators and the business can work jointly to avoid such crisis, Shri Gupta said. Minister for Corporate Affairs also said that his Ministry has undertaken various tasks to provide an enabling environment for the corporate sector to drive economic growth. The e-governance programme, MCA-21, ensures 100% filing by corporates electronically on 24x7 basis. As regards legislations, the new Companies Bill has been introduced in the Parliament which proposes a comprehensive revision of the Companies Act, 1956. Limited Liability Partnership Bill has also been introduced in the Parliament, which would enable professional expertise and entrepreneurial initiative to combine, organize and operate in an innovative and efficient manner. The Competition Commission of India will be operational soon, which will enable effective competition regulation. The Accounting Standards have already been notified and we are gradually moving towards convergence with International Financial Reporting Standards by 2011. The Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs stated that IICA is positioned to take the convergence role for the Government, the business sector and the stakeholders. The Institute has already been registered as a Society in September, 2008. A Board of Governors has also been constituted by co-opting representatives from Government, professionals and business sector as well. The Institute has also signed MOUs with leading international institutes in its endeavor of global partnerships.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44701&kwd=

Establishment of Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) at Mohali

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to the establishment of an autonomous ‘Institute of Nano Science & Technology Mohali’ under the Department of Science & Technology at a total cost of Rs.142.45 crores for 11th Plan Period as a registered society.

This will intensify activities in Nano Science and Technology by promoting (i) Basic Research, (ii) Infrastructure Development, (iii) Human Resource Development, (iv) International Collaborations and (v) Public Private Partnerships.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=42908&kwd=

South Asian University Bill, 2008

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for presenting the South Asian University Bill before the Parliament. At the 13th SAARC Summit held in Dhaka in November 2005, Prime Minister proposed the establishment of a South Asian University (SAU) to provide world-class facilities and professional faculty to students and researchers from SAARC member countries. An Inter-governmental Agreement for establishing the SAU was signed at the 14th SAARC Summit in April 2007. The SAARC member states also decided that the University will be established in India. The establishment of the SAU in India would be the largest visible sign of transformation of SAARC from declaratory to implementation. It will also be the first international university to be set up in India. The University would have branches of learning in other SAARC member states. Its jurisdiction shall extend to whole of India and to campuses and centres established outside India in the SAARC region. It would have full functional autonomy, as per terms and conditions of the Inter-governmental Agreement of April 2007. The SAARC member states have decided to set up a Project Office for the University that is being funded by India for two years. The Project office will be tasked to acquire land for the University, oversee its construction, draw up charter, byelaws, business plan, governance structure, course curricula etc. the Project office has started functioning on May 7, 2008, with premises identified near Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), appointment of Prof G.K.Chadha, as the CEO, and appointment of experts for the various tasks to assist the CEO, and appointment Directors to the Office of CEO. The Third Meeting of the Inter-governmental Steering Committee on October 20, 2008 will be appointing the Conveners to the Task Forces set up on these subjects. The President and the Principal Officers would be from SAARC member states. The faculty and students would be mainly drawn from SAARC member states. The University shall grant the necessary diplomas, certificates and degrees, as it determines. It is expected to commence functioning in the second half of 2010, with 5,000 students and a postgraduate academic programme. At the request of Ministry of External Affairs, Delhi Development Authority will be allotting 100 acres of land for the SAU at Maidan Garhi near Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The cost of the land (approximately Rs 75 crores) would be borne by the Ministry of External Affairs. Contribution on other expenditure would be decided by the SAARC member states at the necessary intergovernmental mechanisms based on the existing participatory approach. A Draft South Asian University Bill has been finalized in consultation with the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law for development of the legal contours of the University, according to the terms and conditions of the Intergovernmental Agreement, including full functional autonomy, grant of degrees, holding of examinations, collaboration with other universities and certain privileges and immunities for itself and its officials, as accorded to all SAARC bodies, based on the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities. Ministries of Finance, Home, Human Resource Development, Law, and University Grants Commission have been consulted on it. The Bill will be introduced in the current session in Parliament. The realization of this prestigious project on schedule would be a visible manifestation of India’s asymmetric commitment to SAARC contributing to SAARC’s transformation to implementation phase.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44319&kwd=

Establishment of a “Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training and Education” under the auspices of UNESCO at Faridabad, Haryana

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of the UNESCO Regional Centre for Training and Education in Biotechnology at Faridabad, Haryana as a Category-II Institution of UNESCO with the revised budget of Rs. 99.55 crores. The proposed Centre would act as the focal point for cooperation amongst the Members countries of the Asian Region in Biotechnology. The Centre would be a regional hub for interdisciplinary education and training in biotechnology with emphasis on novel education programmes relevant to industry, including bio-drug discovery science, nano-science & medicine, imaging techniques, designer crops, bioengineering and biomaterials, intellectual property, technology transfer and regulation to fulfill and overcome the acute shortage of skilled human resources in India. The Centre will be governed by a Board of Governors with representations from India, UNESCO and the member countries. Collaboration with UNESCO will ensure gateways to international institutions such as European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), International Union of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (IUBMB) etc. and usher in skill acquisition in the global context. The Centre will be the first every inter-disciplinary institution in life sciences and biotechnology in India with unique international character to offer novel educational & training courses in the interdisciplinary and related areas of biotechnology. It would also be a place of designing of new and novel programmes for education & training which could be then assimilated by the existing universities in India and the Region.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44911&kwd=

Setting up of Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute of Engineering & Technology, Malda, West Bengal

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute of Engineering & Technology, as a Centrally funded institution in Malda, West Bengal on the modular pattern of teaching as adopted by Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology (SLIET), Longowal, Punjab. The Institution will offer courses in Engineering and Technology to cater to the various manpower requirements of the region, with special emphasis on courses relevant to the local population such as in food technology & sericulture. Initially, the Institution would start with Certificate level courses leading to Diploma, Degree and Post-graduate levels later. The total project outlay of the Institute will be around Rs. 97 crores.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44912&kwd=

Wake up call for Bihar Politicians for Development of the state

I feel very sad about politicians of Bihar who are in Power in both central as well as the state govt. This is because they are just fighting against each other and not focusing on the developnment of the state. Though at present, Bihar Politician are strong in center, they failed to bring many projects in Bihar till today

1. Indian Institute for Science Education and Research, IISER : The demand for establishing this institute by BBrains development Society are long. We submiited report to Bihar govt (51 member commiitte of BiharBrains).A report has been given on http://www.biharbrains.org/bihar-brains-demand-NISC-IISER.php. In turn Govt of Bihar, put case before Hon'ble CM (you can see on www.dst.bih.nic.in) and Also Hon'ble CM wrote letter to Hon'ble PM about need for the establishment of IISER in Bihar. Bihar Govt has assured the land for this mega project. But I feel, again CM is sleeping. He forgot to give "Bell Ring" to Hon'ble PM. Even though he forgot, where is our central govt leaders from Bihar. What our hon'ble MHRD minister and Hon'ble Railway Minster are doing. I appeal to our Hon'ble MHRD minister to bring IISER in Bihar. Bihar needs plenty no. of R&D organizations in which IISER has great potential to revive its ancient glory of research and development.

2.Indian Institute for Information Technology, IIIT: I heard this news from media that IIIT is going to be established at Darbhanga in Bihar. Hon'ble MHRD Minister has announced in a public meeting. But after that no updates............. What happened to IIIT in Bihar. I again appeal to Hon'ble MHRD state minister to fulfil his promises.

3. Central University and world class University : MHRD ministry has announced to establish one Central University and one world class university in Bihar. I don't know what is the meaning of world class university but atleast central university can be set up as soon as possible. Please start the process.


Other Possibilities to bring R&D projects in Bihar by Central govt.

1. National Railway University : Bihar is the fit case for setting up this university. But I think, this ideas has not come in the mind of Our Hon'ble Minister yet. I appeal to Hon'ble Railway Minister to set up this university in Bihar which will be unique for India and the world.
2. DRDO R&D center/CSIR Lab: In Bihar, there is no DRDO organization and CSIR labs. I do request and appeal to Honb'le PM and our central leaders to please set up atleast 10 these organizations in Bihar.


Possibilities for State Govt:

1. Aryabhatt Knowledge University : Bihar govt has passed the Bill but I feel there is no development in this. Please do this asap.
2. Patna School of Economics: I feel, on the pattern of Delhi School of ECONOMICS, Patna University or state govt should set up this institute. This type of institutes in Bihar will certainly pave the path for making financial junction of the state.

3. Medical and Engineering Colleges: I feel, there is no good progress on opening Medical and engineering colleges in Bihar by state govt. MCI is not giving certificate to Bihar because of its low standard and also Bihar govt is not satisfying the standard of MCI. This is so bad.

There are plenty no. of such projects required to be installed in Bihar but our politicians are not paying attention on the developnment. Bihar needs silent revolution of development and show the standard to the world. This is wake up call for all our leaders to develop this undeveloped state.

Government approves National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) and (b) Bioprocessing Unit (BPU) in Knowledge City at Mohali

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=41640

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of (a) National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) and (b) Bioprocessing Unit (BPU) in Knowledge City at Mohali, Punjab,as autonomous institutions of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India with the total estimated cost of Rs. 380 crores for 5 years w.e.f. 2008-2009 to 2012-13. Following are the highlights:=> NABI represents 3 institutes in one: Agri-technology, food technology and nutrition technology. Thus it integrates 3 disciplines under its roof=> BPU is designed to link R&D system with production facility to serve as an incubator for start-up agri-food companies=> There will be an Agri-food Park within the cluster to be operated in the Public Private Partnership, PPP model=> This kind of integration of R&D and production and enterprise is being planned for the first time in the country=> The cluster has been designed with the help of Canadian experts from the Saskatchewan Agri-food Park=> NABI is designed to be translational in the area of : >> Agriculture – new gene discovery, genomics, designer crops etc. >> Food Technology – food processing technologies, bioprocess engineering, food safety etc. >> Nutrition science and technology – Public health nutrition technologies, functional foods and nutraceuticals, wellness foods etc. => The cluster will produce not only PhDs but also agri-food entrepreneurs and spawn new industries for the region=> The HR component reflects multiple skill sets needed - breeders, food specialists, toxicologists, nutritionists, process engineers, managers, computer experts etc.

Establishment of an institute for ‘Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine” at Bangalore, Karnatak

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=40591

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to the following proposals :

i) The establishment of “Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine” (SCSRM) as an autonomous institution of DBT with a total cost of Rs. 203.10 crore.

ii) The flexibility in the management function for :

a) hiring qualified manpower based on selection by a selection committee, not exceeding 7%, of its sanctioned manpower, for recruiting exceptional overseas candidates or to compensate for sudden loss of leadership in challenging technical areas;

b) offering one scale higher than a level of an available post to a candidate of exceptional merit by the Governing Board;

c) appoint overseas Indian scientists as adjunct faculty;

d) provide an outstanding performance allowance to 20% of faculty / scientists with the approval of the Governing Board;

e) create Extramural unit in hospitals and IITs to augment translation and have freedom to negotiate Public-Private Partnership;

f) for scientist to open start ups as per the approved CSIR norms; g) raise endowments from private foundations for scientific purposes.

iii) Integration of Stem Cell Centre (SCC) at Christian Medical College, Vellore now funded in project mode by the Department of Biotechnology with the SCSRM, on expiry of the project period, with due operational flexibility for SCC as recommended by the Expenditure Finance Committee. The decision for establishment of Institute will help in developing policies relating to stem cell technologies, identify needs, facilitate conseptualization and design of new technologies.

Establishment of two new Schools of Planning & Architecture (SPAs) at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=39796

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for setting up of two Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs) at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh and creation of 4 core posts of Director & Registrar for each Institute with immediate effect. The total cost for setting up of two Schools of Planning and Architecture would be Rs.348.50 cores ( Recurring expenditure Rs.82.90 cores and Non-Recurring expenditure – Rs.265.60 crores). The project would be completed by 2012-13. These Institutes would integrate graduate, post-graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral education in architecture and town planning while at the same time fostering research of a high order in these areas. Research in such areas can generate significant intellectual properties, which has the potential for generating sizeable revenues. These Institutes will create a cadre of high calibre faculty members who will be devoted to teaching, research and consultancy in all disciplines that deal with Planning and Architecture. Also, SPAs will be socially responsible institutions providing research feedback to the Government for physical development of human settlements The Institutes would also contribute to highly competent and trained manpower that would inevitably impact positively on the economic growth of the country.

Comming Up: UNESCO Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training & Education

Preamble:
Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training & Education under the auspices of UNESCO at Faridabad, Haryana, India will be an autonomus institution fully funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.

The proposed Centre shall be a Category II Centre in terms of “Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Functioning of UNESCO Institutes and Centres”.

The emphasis is to support disciplinary & interdisciplinary education, training and research in biotechnology in order to produce skilled human resource to drive innovative research and development in the important gap areas.

As biotechnology sector is of global significance, the Centre would encourage global partnerships and co-operations.

Partnership with UNESCO would expand the opportunities to create world class education, training, research and will also facilitate global connectivity while preserving the regional & national focus of the institution.

Mission:
The Mission of the UNESCO Center is to create physical infrastructure in critical platform technologies and use it to support disciplinary & interdisciplinary education, training and research in biotechnology.

Vision:
To produce human resource tailored to drive innovation in biotechnology, particularly in areas of new opportunity and to fill talent gap in deficient areas.

Objectives:
(a) To produce human resource through education and training in a milieu of research and development for application of biotechnology for sustainable development towards building a strong biotech industry through regional and international co-operation.

(b) To establish desired infrastructure and Technology Platforms to support the activities of the centre.

(c) To establish a Technology Policy Development and Information Dissemination unit.

(d) To develop research programmes of a global quality through international partnerships to sustain world class education and training programmes.

(e) To enable periodic experimentation in design and implementation of biotechnology education and training and to be a source of new concepts and programmes, this can be assimilated by existing universities in India and the Region.

(f) To create a hub of biotechnology expertise in South Asian Association of Regional Co–operation (SAARC) region, and more generally in the Asian region and to address human resource needs.

(g) Promotion and strengthening of South-South & South-North co-operations around issues relevant to biotech education, training, innovation, commercialization and trade.

(h) Promotion of a network of satellite centers in the region.

Focus:
The primary focus of the Centre is to provide high quality human resource in disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas.

The Centre would provide outstanding disciplinary/interdisciplinary short term training programmes which will include Science & Technology training for physicians, biologists and engineers by networking through local hospitals/ medical & engineering schools etc.

In addition, short term training programmes in platform technologies will be conducted for skill development in existing personnel.

Specialized domain specific programmes will also be created in new emerging areas.

The Centre will offer specialized master’s degree courses, unique Ph.D. programmes, domain specific training programmes, high quality research and development in the specific areas.

The Centre will have a centralized Science & Technology platform and Technology Management & Enterprise Development Unit.

India is poised to be the hub for biotechnology in the coming decade; therefore the Centre would provide a window for showcasing Indian competence in global market for economic gains. Policy harmonization on trade and regulation will also be facilitated as a part of this effort.


Programmes Details:
1. As Educational Hub:

(a) Special Master’s Degree courses:
The Centre will offer special Master’s Degree courses of two years duration in the following areas:
v Biosciences,
v Bioengineering,
v Drug Discovery Science,
v Translational and Clinical Health Science,
v Molecular Crop Breeding,
v Regulatory Affairs,
v Biomedical Quality Systems and Product Development,
v Infectious Disease Biology,
v Bioinformatics etc.

It will also help to enrich the existing Master’s in Biotechnology programmes and cater to the needs of the Asian region and members countries.

(b) Unique PhD Programmes:

The Centre will offer unique M. Tech.-PhD programme in Biomedical engineering,

Integrated M.Sc-PhD programme in Medical bioscience and drug discovery,
PhD in
v Molecular Crop Biotechnology,
v Nano-biology,
v Synthetic Biology related to Health, Plants and Energy
v Interdisciplinary PhD programme (on the lines of MIT Harvard HST programme).

The Ph.D. programmes of the UNESCO Center will be open to Indians as well as students from the member countries and Asian region. A few fellowships will be available to students opting for these programmes on a competitive basis.

The students will have access to:

v Disciplinary & Interdisciplinary, Tech Strong & Industry Linked Environment

v Expertise of Research Centers of Excellence: Institutional, Regional & Global

v Multicultural & Global Environment

v Learning Skills of International Standard

v Overseas Mentors

2. Training Programmes:
(a) The training programme will be unique to the Centre with the goal to arrange/organize personalized or user-friendly opportunities for career development. Structured training courses for physicians and engineers (intending to enter biology), science managers and industry personnel in specific areas where they require skill enhancement will have emphasis.

(b) The Centre’s Technology Incubator & Business Development Unit will be open to industry for enhancing their skills in specific areas through structured training courses for career opportunities/ advancements in the areas like:
v IPR,
v Technology Transfer,
v Bio-enterprise/ Management in Biotechnology,
v Platform Technologies,
v Regulatory Procedures,
v Biosafety,
v Bioethics,
v Process Development and Up-scaling,
v Preclinical Toxicity and Clinical Trials,
v Good Manufacturing Practices & Good Laboratory Practices,
v Biostatistics,
v Epidemiology etc.

(c) Specialized Domain Specific Training Programmes will also be designed for people from basic sciences in:
v Nanotechnology,
v Implants and Devices,
v Vaccine Development,
v Stem Cell Biology etc.

3. Research:
The research emphasis will be in the areas like:
v Nano-biology,
v Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering,
v Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics,
v Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition,
v Bone & Cartilage Biology,
v High Throughput Clinical Genomics,
v Diabetes,
v Infection Science Microbiology & Vaccinology,
v Molecular Diagnostics,
v Crop Breeding etc.

Post-doctoral Programmes:

v Re-entry Grant to Talented Scientists working abroad.

v Young Investigator Awards to work for 3-5yrs after PhD



PROGRAMMES AND SUB-PROGRAMMES AT UNESCO CENTRE

Programmes:

v Biological Sciences

Sub-programmes:
F Immunology
F Molecular biology
F Molecular biophysics
F Structural biology
F Molecular Cell biology
F Bioinformatics
F Bio-organic Chemistry

v Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
v Bioengineering & Material Science
v Industrial Biotechnology
v Molecular Crop breeding
v Molecular Medicine – I (Infectious diseases)
v Molecular Medicine – II (chronic diseases)
v Applied health science Division
v GMP Units
F Vaccine production
F Cell and tissue based therapies etc.

UNESCO Center
The research carried out at the Centre will be supported by various programmes and collaborations at the national and global levels like Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Autonomus Research & Development Institutions, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Medical Schools, Biotechnology Centres at regional and international level etc. as per the guidelines to be formulated by the Board of Governors. It will consider supporting Research Resource Units (RRU’s) and Centre for Excellence (CoE) with Indian or Regional institutes in strategic areas where partnership is critical for collaborative research. It will also provide access to technology platforms to scientists from other institutes and industry. The extramural collaborations will have provisions for adjunct professorships, visiting professor programmes and scientist exchange programmes etc.



OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE UNESCO CENTER:
The Centre will have the provisions for Visiting Professorship for Indian Nationals & International Scientists, Adjunct Professorship, Stanford-India Bio-design Programme, Re-entry Grant and Young Investigator Awards.

CENTRALIZED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM:

The platform technologies will be available in the areas of
v Large Scale Sequencing,
v Genetic Analysis,
v Proteomics,
v RNAi,
v Imaging,
v Chemical Biology,
v Bio Bank etc.
This centralized science and technology platform is expected to provide service to the scientists of the research divisions of health science & technology, and provide support to the training activities of the UNESCO Centre and other research institutes in the country.
In due course it will develop liaison with national and international databases and consortia in order to contribute to global scientific resources.

TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT UNIT:

The infrastructure of this unit will have ready to use laboratory space for extramural scientists for innovative & translational research projects. In partnership with the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), GMP units for cell based therapy and vaccine will be made. The faculty of this unit will have skills in technology transfer, IP managements, finance and enterprise creation.









Organization Structure:


Administration & Finance Unit:

This unit will provide administrative, financial, engineering and other support services to the Centre. Services like security, housekeeping, office attendants, operation & maintenance of services will be outsourced to firms who provide manpower on contract.

Location:

The Centre will be situated in a picturesque location in Faridabad about 25 km from New Delhi (40 minute drive) in the academic and research ambience of the Life Sciences Cluster and an adjacent R & D Centre of another Ministry of the Government of India to be set up in the near future.
The site is also close to other renowned institutions like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS); Indian Institute of Technology (IIT); International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (ICGEB); Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU); National Institute of Immunology (NII); National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), with whom the centre is likely to establish network and collaborative programmes, are also situated within 20-30km radius of the centre.
v Meeting with National Experts was held on May 18, 2007.

v An interactive meeting on the UNESCO Centre was jointly organized by DBT and UNESCO on June 18-19, 2007 at New Delhi to discuss the focus, activities, organizational structure and linkages of the proposed Centre.

The meeting was attended by eminent scientists, educationists, policy makers and stakeholders from the members countries, counties of the South East Asian Region as well as by representatives from the industries as well.

The experts nominated by UNESCO provided insights into global partnerships and benefit- sharing especially with regard to guest/visiting faculty, fellowships and participation of member countries.

Meeting held on June 18-19, 2007 at New Delhi

v A meeting was organized with Boston University delegation, USA, led by its President - Prof. Robert Brown, towards developing partnerships for education, training and research with the UNESCO Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training & Education and Translational Health Science & Technology Institute (THSTI) in New Delhi on September 25, 2007.
Current Status:
v An Interim Advisory Committee (IAC) has been constituted to provide Scientific and Academic directions.
v A Management Cell has been created at NII, New Delhi to address the interim issues
v Initiatives for collaborations/partnerships with international institutes/universities have been started. MoUs have been signed with Stanford and Boston University.
v Actions have been initiated for revised Cabinet approval, Legislative Bill for Act of Parliament, constitution of various committees, web-design, building construction etc.

IMPLEMENTATION OF MAJOR INITIATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE XI PLAN

http://darpg.nic.in/arpg-website/ChiefSectConf/PPT/HRD.ppt

Nasscom Suggests: TN, MP, Karnataka to have Three IIIT's, Bihar to get one Jharkhand None.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/23/stories/2008052360101400.htm

NASSCOM has submitted its recommendation on the location of IIIT's to HRD Ministry. It has suggested two more IIIT's in TN in PPP besides the one IIIT (harware&Design) already set up in central sector at Kanchpuram . New ones are proposed at Chennai and Coimbatore. Another big beneficiary state could be Karnataka which is slated to get three, one each at Mangalore, Mysore and Bangalore . Madhyapradesh with another institute at Indore will also move up to have three institutes ( which is in addition to central sector IIITs at Jabalpur and Gwalior). Jharkahnd, Chhatishgarh and Rajasthan's claims, however, seems to have been completely ignored. Maharashtra is another beneficiary with two such institutes proposed at Pune and Nagpur respectivelly. Most of the southern states, including Maharashtra, already boast of a similar state government sponsored institute.

Places where new IIIT's in PPP mode has been recommended by NASSCOM are Delhi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, Jammu,Chandigarh, Dehra Dun, Lucknow, Patna, Shillong, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Indore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Pune, Visakhapatanam, Mysore, Mangalore and Coimbatore .

National Institute of Paramedical Sciences (with branches in New Delhi and Chennai)

http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_ser.pdf
For the paramedical personnel there several institutions, in the States but also in
the private sector but these are unregulated and there is lack of uniformity in the training
imparted. For regulating training of paramedics it is proposed to set up the Paramedics
Council and a Bill for the same has already been introduced in Parliament. Separately,
there is also a proposal in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to set up a National
Institute of Paramedical Sciences (with branches in New Delhi and Chennai) for
undertaking and coordinating training programmes in the country in collaboration with
State Governments. The Ministry is proposing to use distance education to ensure large
coverage of the training programmes.

Four Regional 'Centres for Advanced Legal Studies and Research (CALSAR)' as Excellence Center in Law Education on Anvil

http://knowledgecommission.gov.in/downloads/report2007/eng/6_Recommendations.pdf
There is need to set up four autonomous, well
networked Centres for Advanced Legal Studies and
Research (CALSAR), one in each region, to carry out
cutting edge research on various aspects of law and also
serve as a think-tank for advising the government in
national and international fora. The CALSARs would
maintain adequate linkages and institutionalized
interaction opportunities with law schools and
universities, including continuing legal education for
faculty. Some other specific functions and objectives
of these centres would include: publishing a peer
reviewed journal of international quality; facilitating
multi disciplinary approaches to law; institutionalizing
arrangements for scholars in residence; organizing
workshops and undertaking in-depth research on new
and developing areas of law.
Each CALSAR would require an initial investment of
around Rs. 50 crore to build an academic complex,
conference facilities, a world-class library and other
infrastructure. These institutes would also need to
be provided with an annual budget to the tune of
Rs. 5 crore for salaries, fellowships, administrative
expenses and related expenses. The initial investment
and the annual budgets should be borne by the central
and respective state governments (that would host
the CALSAR) respectively, but the CALSARs should
gradually aim at financial self-sustenance, through
innovative financial method

ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL POLICE UNIVERSITY

The Union Cabinet today gave its, in principle, approval to establish a National Police University (NPU) for quality education, research and other related academic activities in police related subjects, including competence in the areas of the physical and social sciences.

ESTABLISHMENT OF INDIAN INSTITUTE OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of Indian Institute of Corporate affairs with an outlay of Rs. 211.00 crores during 11th Plan. The institute would provide a Think-tank, Capacity building and Service Delivery support in various initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

POLICY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT REGIONS

CCEA has approved, today, a plan for "Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR)" on the line of one earlier announced for "Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR"). These are plans for Mega Industrial regions and will entail huge Basic Infrastructure and Institutional Infrastructures (like IIIT -Hardware, IIIT-Software, CDAC and similar other institutions Offices and even core presence of public sector behemoths like BSNL etc) building on part of central government and CPSE's.

Brief outline of the plan approved for the same is as attached below:

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=37077

13:7 IST
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval to the proposal to create Information Technology Investment Regions (ITIRs). These ITIRs would be endowed with excellent infrastructure and supported through investor-friendly policies. ITIRs were conceptualized keeping in view the need to boost the growth of both IT/ITES and Electronic Hardware Manufacturing (EHM) Units.These regions would become major magnets for investment creating employment opportunities and economic growth in the area. Simultaneously, it will reduce the pressure on existing urban centers by enabling growth of new townships and dispersal of industry. The regions would be a combination of IT/ITES and Electronics Hardware Manufacturing Units; Public uitilities, residential area, social infrastructure and administrative services. Such regions could include new integrated townships, SEZs, industrial parks etc. In the ITIR, there would be a clear delineation between the IT/ITES areas and Electronic Hardware Manufacturing areas. The ITIRs would generate direct and indirect employment during the construction and operational phases. Each ITIR is expected to be a specificlly notified investment region with minimum area of 40 sq.kms. planned for IT/ITES and EHM Units. The minimum processing area will be 40% of the total area of the ITIR. The ITIRs will be developed in a phased manner. The State Government would ensure that all physical infrastructure and utilities within its jurisdiction (power, water, roads, transportation, sewerage and effluent treatment facilities) are provided. The Central Government will facilitate development of National Highways, Airport and Rail links to the ITIRs. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) route is advocated for the development of ITIRs. State Government will select the developers/co-developers through a transparent process. ***RCJ/HS/LV

MHRD Minsitry Dissapoint on IIM and IISER

This is very unfortunate but not surprising that Bihar has again missed the train.
Govt of Bihar is just happy because they get IIT and a Central univ . Govt of Bihar has established Chandragupta institute of management about which they popularised that this is an institute of( IIM kind).
This is very bad that Bihar Govt doesn't perhaps take effort to demand for IIM in Bihar.Many officers may be happy about chandra Gupta Institute of Management but this is not sufficient.
The same thing is happening with IISER which we were demanding since the announcement of the IISER by Central govt and also submitted report to govt.
Because of our effort, Now Bihar govt is also with us in compaign for getting IISER .But perhaps not much efforts has been taken except once Our Hon'ble CM wrote letter to Hon'ble PM about demanding IISER for Bihar.
This is the exact time for Bihar to get all these institutes as the present govt. in Bihar is serious about development .In addition , we have Sri Fatami jee from Bihar in central ministry (MHRD). Laloo jee is also at good position in cabinet. But it seems they even don't know much about IISER and importance of this institute for Bihar.
Now time has come Leaders of Bihar should come on one front on the issue of the development of the state. They should forget their political enmity .
First develop the state and then take credit of it..

I hope, " Der Ayenge par Durust Ayenge".

Warm Regards,
Bibhuti Bikramaditya
Seoul, S Korea

HRD Ministry Disappoints Bihar on IIM: State to Get A Central Univesrity and also A World Class University

PRESS NOTE - STATES IDENTIFIED FOR LOCATING NEW CENTRAL INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE 11TH FIVE YEAR PLAN

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=36955

The 11th Five Year Plan, endorsed by the National Development Council in December, 2007, envisages, inter-alia, establishment of the following new higher education institutions in the Central sector:
A Technical Education Institutions
· 8 Indian Institutes of Technology
· 7 Indian Institutes of Management
B Central Universities
· 14 Universities aiming at world class standards
· 16 Universities in States which do not have a Central University at present

2. Out of the above new institutions, location decisions had already been taken in the case of 4 IITs and one IIM. Hon’ble Prime Minister has since approved the proposals made by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, for the location of the remaining institutions as per the details given below.
Location of new IITs/ IIMs.
3. Location of 4 IITs (in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh), and one IIM (at Shillong) have already been announced. The Central Government has now decided to locate the remaining 4 IITs and 6 IIMs in the following States :-
IITs - Orissa, Madhya Pradesh (Indore), Gujarat and Punjab
IIMs - Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh (Raipur), Uttarakhand and Haryana In addition, it is also proposed to convert the Institute of Technology of the Banaras Hindu University into an IIT. Admission to this Institute is already based on the IIT – Joint Entrance Examination.
Location of 14 World Class Universities
4. As regards 14 Central Universities aiming at world class standards, it has been considered necessary that these are located in or near selected large cities which would automatically have the kind of connectivity and infrastructure which such universities would need. Accordingly, it has been decided to locate one such University in each of the 14 States/Region as shown in the enclosed List, and to request concerned State Governments to identify adequate land in or near the selected cities.
Location of 16 Central Universities in Uncovered States
5. 16 States which do not have a Central University at present, and which will get one Central University each in the 11th Plan are Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa. Of these, in three States, existing State Universities will be taken over by the Central Government and converted into Central Universities. These three Universities are Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University, Sagar (in Madhya Pradesh), Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur (in Chhattisgarh), and Goa University.
6. Establishment of IITs, IIMs and Central Universities in the above States is subject to State Governments offering adequate land at suitable locations, free of cost, for the purpose. Each of the concerned State Government is being requested to offer land accordingly. Actual establishment of these institutions would however depend, among other things, on how quickly the concerned State Governments respond by allotting adequate land at suitable locations.
State-wise List of Cities Identified for locating 14 Central Universities during the XIth Plan which would aim to achieve world class standards
State City
1. Maharashtra - Pune
2. West Bengal - Kolkata
3. Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore
4. Karnataka - Mysore
5. Andhra Pradesh - Vishakapatanam
6. Gujarat - Gandhinagar
7. Rajasthan - Jaipur
8. Bihar - Patna
9. Madhya Pradesh - Bhopal
10. Kerala - Kochi
11. Punjab - Amritsar
12. Orissa - Bhubaneshwar
13. Uttar Padesh - Greater NOIDA
14. North Eastern Region - Guwahati
.....
Department of Higher Education, Ministry of HRD
PIB, New Delhi; Chatra 08, 1930,March 28, 2008
HB/VL/SB/conference28.3

Department of Atomic Energy and University Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai on the occasion of signing of MoU between the two Organisations to

http://www.dae.gov.in/press/uictpress.htm

In the 21st century, where knowledge economy propels a nation, higher education is the major contributor to the economic growth of the country. In India the number of Engineering Technology Ph.D.'s per year 1,000,000 persons is 0.8, which is much smaller compared to other developed countries; for example, the number is 33 in Japan, 30 in the USA and 3 in China. Further, the number of Ph.Ds in Engineering and Technology is dismally small compared to that in Basic Sciences. The number of Ph.D.s that is directly proportional to the GDP of the country needs to be enhanced to 3000. There is indeed a wide gap to be filled up.
The other key driver of the economy is the energy production: each rupee invested in the energy sector increases the output by ten to fifteen rupees. Evidently, India has to harness all forms of renewable and non-renewable energy sources to increase its energy production. Solar, wind, bio energy are as important for widely distributed production and the uses as are coal, hydrocarbon and nuclear energy for centralised production, especially for metropolitan areas and industrial sector. The scenario of energy mix has to gradually shift towards nuclear energy as the major component in order to cut down carbon dioxide emission and reduce global warming. In future, nuclear energy can totally eliminate carbon dioxide emission in the transport sector by producing hydrogen fuel in the most energy efficient manner. The massive R&D programme launched by the Department of Atomic Energy towards design and manufacture of higher capacity power plants and nuclear fuel breeding reactors, commencing the thorium fuel cycle, employing high temperature reactors for direct hydrogen production, and initiating work on the accelerator driven inherently safe nuclear reactor and prototype fusion reactors. These efforts require a pool of talented, motivated and highly qualified personnel: engineers and technologists with deep insight into science, and scientists with competence in engineering to convert research output to technology.
Chemical engineering with a multidisciplinary base has played a major role in shaping the technologies for the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear reactors, and many advanced energy conversion technologies. University Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai (UICT) is one of the foremost academic institutions in India with a proven track record in training high quality manpower and in conducting research in Chemical Engineering and Technology. While UICT is a major resource institution in terms of technology development and fundamental research at the cutting edge on the global scale, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), in particular, Bhabha Atomic Research· Centre and Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research have demonstrated over decades their ability to conduct multi-disciplinary, mission oriented R&D leading to a large number of indigenous and innovative chemical engineering processes, equipment and instruments, and technologies. DAE and UICT are joining hands to launch the DAE­UICT Centre for Chemical Engineering Education and Research to impart education at the Ph. D. level, where interdisciplinary character of Chemical Engineering Education is the essence. With an annual intake of ,20 Ph. D. students per year from various streams, namely, M.Sc. in basic sciences, M. Tech/B. Tech in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical/Materials Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, the Centre will support 100 Ph. D. students, all engaged in research in the energy sector This scheme will also provide opportunity to the young research scholars, who will be trained with broad based curricula covering basic sciences and chemical engineering, to carry out their experiments in the state of the art laboratories of QAE institutes, especially of BARC and IGCAR.
This Centre has another major function. It will boost the Collaborative Research Programme between DAE institutions and UICT, by adding in a major way to the existing research projects commissioned through the Board of Nuclear Sciences and the Centre for Knowledge Based Engineering (CKBE). Many of the DAE funded projects have been successfully completed. They are in the areas of process simulation of heavy water plants, ion chromatography for zirconium decontamination and recycle, annular centrifugal extractors for efficient solvent extraction, software for non-destructive radiometric investigation of chemical plants, etc. For the Research Projects under the Centre, the scientists of BARC and IGCAR in consultation with the faculty members of the UICT have identified several advanced topics of research in Chemical Engineering, which will provide understanding of various phenomena, and help in developing novel technologies and in improving the efficiency and reliability of the existing processes. 'Examples of such research areas are: Computational fluid dynamics modelling of fluidised bed with chemical vapour deposition on the particles, two phase flow in diverse systems: liquid metal flow in fast reactors, gas driven liquid metal flow in Accelerator Driven System targets, pulsed extraction columns, cavitation in sodium pumps, etc. It also includes the cutting edge technologies, such as, molecular modelling for developing specified solvents and ionic liquids, Development of novel processes for radioactive decontamination by gel, hydrogen generation by iodine-sulphur process for combining with high temperature nuclear reactor, and pyro-electrochemical reduction of actinide oxides and their separation. These knowledge and understanding will contribute immensely to the nuclear energy programmes in Nuclear fuel production, Fuel reprocessing technologies, Radioactive Waste management, Energy conversion technologies, Thermal hydraulics of fast breeder
A new building will be constructed in the existing premises of UICT, which will house teaching laboratories, lecture halls, CAD - CAM laboratory and computer centre, research laboratories, and pilot scale equipment testing facility. The Centre will also support upto six faculty positions. The Centre initially will be funded to the tune of Rs 75 crores by DAE during the XI and XII Five Year Plan periods.
The benefits that will accrue from this centre are manifold. The important ones being several independent research projects will be completed, with deliverables linked with energy programmes; A pool of young talented and dedicated Ph.D. level engineers with a multidisciplinary perspective will be created with a potential to be absorbed in the DAE units. It will provide a platform for interactions between R&D scientists of DAE and academic personnel from UICT. The new knowledge and the technologies generated in the centre is expected to fulfill atleast partially, the urgent need of our country and society in terms of wealth generation and national security in various sectors.

National Defence University on Anvil

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=35889
The Committee on National Defence University has recommended establishment of an Indian National Defence University. This will include existing institutes namely National Defence College (Delhi), National Defence Academy (Khadakwasia), Institute of Defence Management (Secunderabad) and Defence Service Staff College (Wellington) and new institutes namely National Institute of Strategic Studies, College of National Security Policy, Institute for Advanced Technology Studies (Bangalore). No final decision on location of the proposed university has been taken as yet.
The courses conducted at the tri-Services training institutions, training institutions of the three Services and the National Defence College are recognized for award of diplomas/ degrees by various universities across the country and All India Council for Technical Education. Details are given below:-
National Defence College:
All officers undergoing the NDC Course and possessing a Masters’ degree are eligible for admission to the M. Phil programme of the University of Madras.
Tri-services training institutions:
Sl. No.
Name of the institution
Degree
University
1.
National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla
B.A./B.Sc.
Jawahar Lal Nehru University
2.
Defence Services Staff College, Wellington
M.Sc.
University of
Mumbai
3.
College of Defence Management, Secunderabad
M.M.S.
Osmania University
Higher Command Course:
Sl. No.
Name of the institution
Degree
University
1.
Army War College, Mhow
M.Phil
Indore University
2.
College of Naval Warfare,
Mumbai
M.Phil
University of
Mumbai
3.
College of Air Warfare
M.Phil
Osmania University
(iv) All technical courses being conducted at various training institutions of the three services are also recognized for award of diploma/degree by All Council for Technical Education, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi and by various other Universities across the country.
This information was given by Defence Minister Shri A K Antony in a written reply to Dr. K.S. Manoj in Lok Sabha today.

Proposal for of New Institutions in Budget 2008-09

http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2008-09/eb/po.pdf

1. Department of Biotechnology:

Efforts will be made to start the activities of other institutions in pipelines in the areas of stem cell biology, UNESCO regional centre, agri-food biotechnology, marine biotechnology and animal biotechnology.

2. Department of Higher Education- (Technical Education)

A provision of Rs. 150 crore has been made for Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) which would take care of the requirement of the three IISER at Pune, Kolkata, and Mohali and two new ones to be started at Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). Apart from the provision for various ongoing schemes in the Technical Education sector, a provision of Rs.50 Crore has been made for setting up of three new IITs, Rs. 8 crore for setting up of new IIMs, Rs. 21.40 crore for setting up of new IIITs, Rs. 15 crore for two new schools of Planning and Architecture at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, and a token provision of Rs. 1 crore for new National Institute of Technology.

3. Information, Publicity and Broadcasting:

Provision for Setting up of National Centre for Excellence in Animation, Gaming & Special Effects.