Cabinet OKs 1,000 cr for pure science institutes on IIT lines

The Central government will set up two institutes on the lines of IITs to promote higher studies in pure sciences, which it says were left o...

The Central government will set up two institutes on the lines of IITs to promote higher studies in pure sciences, which it says were left out in the technology race.

The Cabinet today approved Rs 1,000 crore for the ‘‘Indian Institute of Science Education & Research’’ to be built at Kolkata and Pune. The money is to be spent over seven years, Information & Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy said.

The IISERs would extend post graduate, doctorate and post doctorate courses with emphasis on advanced research in physics, chemistry, mathematics, life sciences, computer science, material sciences, environment and earth system sciences.

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‘‘These would start functioning from the next academic year,’’ said Reddy. When fully established, the total strength of integrated Masters of Science programme in each institute would be 1,000 and of doctoral and post doctoral programmes about 1,055.

The attempt is to encourage pure sciences as distinct from applied sciences, Reddy said, adding that the standards of pure sciences had fallen as the focus had been more on technology studies.

Research in such areas could generate significant intellectual properties that hold the potential to generate sizeable revenue, said a government statement.

Cabinet nod

• Bill to repeal Agricultural Produce Cess Act of 1940, Produce Cess Act of 1966. Bill, when approved by Parliament, would abolish cess on agricultural exports to make them more profitable, Union Minister Jaipal Reddy said.

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• Classical language status to Sanskrit while raising the antiquity bar for conferring such status from 1,000 years to 1,500 years

• Bill to amend the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993 that would provide NHRC right to take remedial measures of providing interim compensation to victims, announce relief and visit victims in prison.

• Changes in the Central Vigilance Commission Act and the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act to fix the membership of the committee that selects the CBI director. It would now include the secretary of the department that has administrative control of the bureau assisting Central Vigilance Commissioner and the Home Secy. Earlier, the panel had Personnel Secretary who was later dropped to make way for a secretary from Cabinet Secretariat