Panel Recommends the Creation of Special IIT Research Fund

New Delhi: A committee headed by the director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur recommended for creation of a special fund and a dedicated cadre of technical assistants in order to “improve research activities” at the leading technical schools. Moreover, the S.G. Dhande panel has suggested that the human resource ministry provide special grants for creation of research infrastructure and conduct of research at these top engineering institutes.

In addition, in its report, accessed under the Right to Information Act, the committee has “requested” the IIT council, the highest decision-making body of the institutes, to “consider the proposal of providing a plan-research fund to the IITs”. Also, the report says that it is also requested that a cadre of design and scientific staff along with a cadre of technical officers be created at IITs so as to improve the research activities at the IITs.

According to a senior official, the committee’s suggestions were discussed at a meeting of the IIT council on January 21, 2011. The recommendations are under consideration of the government.  However, presently research activities at the IITs are mostly sponsored projects for different agencies like the department of science and technology, department of bio-technology, Aeronautics Research and Development Board, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences.

Furthermore, the committee felt that sponsored research projects, which usually spread over three to five years, had created “unexpected difficulties”. Since continuation of research activities always depended on availability of projects from the funding agencies, the uncertainty affected research plans of the institutes.

Also, the report said the HRD ministry was “best suited” to finance research in the IIT system. “The MHRD should step in to provide continuous financial support to research. The report also added that it should substantially invest in creating research infrastructure. IIT Delhi director Surendra Prasad has said the proposals were discussed at the IIT council meeting, but no decision had been taken yet.

Mr Prasad also added that they are not getting separate funding for research. He said that they get the plan allocation in terms of certain grants every year. A small portion of the plan fund is used for creation of research facilities. Besides, they generate funds from sponsored research. He also said that the proposal for a special fund for research will help the institutes in better planning out research work.

In addition, the Dhande committee has said the ministry should create centres of excellence within the IITs with advanced research facilities so that the tech schools could focus on research to provide solutions in emerging areas like hydrocarbons, renewable energy, environment and communication. Besides, the committee suggested that the HRD ministry create a dedicated staff to help with research. At present, the IITs engage staff in the sponsored projects but their service ends once the project is completed. Sources has informed that the experienced staff could help the IITs if they were retained, and so the need for a separate cadre to assist research faculty.

However, according to an IIT professor, neither a special fund nor a dedicated cadre of research officers would help much in enhancing research output. The real problem, he said, was the lack of interest in research among students. He mentioned that the major problem is to get students interested in research. Now most of them take up jobs after completing BTech,” the professor said requesting anonymity.

(Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110215/jsp/nation/story_13584421.jsp)