New Delhi: On Thursday i.e. on June 17, 2010, the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for setting up an Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) The proposed Academy will focus on research and impart training in frontier areas of science and technology.
The Bill to set up the Academy will be introduced in the ensuing monsoon session of the Parliament. As per sources, Ambika Soni, Information and Broadcasting Minister has said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She also added that the academy will focus on research and teaching and utilizing existing resources for awarding degrees that will be internationally recognized.
She also mentioned that the curriculum, pedagogy and evaluation of the academy will be innovative and directed towards creating highest quality personnel in inter-disciplinary areas. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has mooted the idea of setting up the academy due to the shortage of such institutions in the country.
Furthermore, Soni added that the academy will operate on a self-sustaining mode while utilizing the existing resources and facilities of CSIR. The recurring expenses will be Rs 19.10 crore in the 11th Plan and Rs 61.79 crore in the 12th Plan. There will be no requirement of capital expenditure. The academy will have campuses spread across the country in the 37 CSIR laboratories linked through the National Knowledge Network.
