Govt sanctions establishment of research parks at 8 IITs, IISc Bangalore; 3 are functional

NEW DELHI: The Union government will establish research parks at eight Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore to augment the research ecosystem in the country.

The eight IITs are - IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Gandhinagar. The initiative aims to promote science and technology, minister of state for education Subhas Sarkar informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

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The research parks at IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Delhi are functional and others are in advanced stages of completion, he added.

The main objectives of these parks are to have research collaboration with top-rated industries, enable entrepreneurship and incubation of students and build strong academic linkages for the same.

“The parks will also help to increase outreach of academic content to industry and enable industry to add value to academic programmes through close collaborations. The research parks are established at higher educational institutions of the country to achieve the desired objectives,” the minister said in the reply.

Also Read | National Research Foundation Bill tabled in Lok Sabha; NRF will work with UGC, DST other agencies

The Lok Sabha today also passed the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023. The bill envisages establishing the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, an apex body to provide “high-level strategic direction” to scientific research and entrepreneurship in the country. The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) has recommended establishing an apex body on models such as the United States’ National Science Foundation.

With a budget of Rs 50,000 crore over the next five years, the NRF draws on models such as the United States’ National Science Foundation. It will replace the SERB (Science and Engineering Research Board) Act, 2008 with an expanded mandate. The Bill also paves way for public sector enterprises as well as private sector entities to invest in the activities of the foundation.