DST announces ‘mega package’ for JK varsities

Finances, scholarships and much more 
To strengthen science education in colleges and universities in Jammu and Kashmir, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, on Saturday announced a mega package in the form of finances and scholarships under its “Pilot Project Programme” to this effect. 
The announcement came during a high-level meeting of vice-chancellors of all universities in Jammu and Kashmir held at the Kashmir varsity campus. 
Delineating the package, the DST secretary, Dr T Ramasamy, said the department would provide Rs 50 lakh for raising laboratory and other infrastructural facilities in 35 collages in the state, 20 from the Valley and 15 from Jammu. “In the first phase we will be providing Rs 20 lakh. After two years, the progress of infrastructural development in the colleges shall be reviewed. If it is ok, we will release rest of the amount,” Ramasamy, the chief guest, told the vice-chancellors. “The colleges should be recognized by the universities of Kashmir and Jammu regions,” he added. 
Besides, Ramasamy asserted the DST would provide the travel expenses and honorarium of Rs 25,000 per month to researchers who will visit the universities, as and when the universities desire to call them. “But the visit should not be for more than two months per year,” he said, adding the aim of inviting the visiting fellows to universities was to get students exposed to outside talent. The meeting was chaired by the KU vice-chancellor Prof Riyaz Punjabi. 
Regarding young faculty, who wish to visit outside universities for research, Ramasamy said aspirants would be provided travel expenses plus Rs 10,000 as honorarium by the DST. “This part of the package shall be applicable for what is technically called as the 200 men-months,” he said.
Ramasamy said Rs 1.5 crores shall be provided to each university per year which they can utilize in sending young researchers for research in outside institutions. “But the researchers should not be provided more than Rs 8000 as honorarium per programme,” he said.
For improvement of teaching facilities in the universities, Ramasamy said all universities in J&K shall be provided Rs 1.5 crore each to this effect. “Besides the DST will provide Rs 50 lakh for each university to solve the problem of interrupted power supply,” he said. 
Regarding having “Regional Sophisticated Equipment Facilites” in Jammu and Kashmir, Ramasamy said the DST shall constitute a 5-member committee for the purpose. “But for this, a joint proposal agreed upon by all the universities should reach the DST for examination,” he said, adding varsities can also contemplate to hold summer and winter schools for postgraduate students and research scholars. “The universities can hold the schools of two to three weeks in the state,” he said.
On attracting students toward science education, Ramasamy said the DST has the scheme called “INSPIRE” through which it offers several scholarships and interactive programmes. “Under this scheme we can invite nobel laureates to the state for inspiration of students,” he said.
The meeting was attended by the KU vice-chancellor, Prof Riyaz Punjabi, JU VC, Prof Varun Sahini, VC SKUAST-K, Prof Anwar Alam, VC SKUAST-J, Prof B Mishra, VC Islamic University, Prof Sidiq Wahid, VC Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Prof Siddiq Wahid, Dean, Shri Mata Vaisnu Devi University, Prof V Verma, Dean Academics (KU), Prof Aziz-ul-Azeem, Registrar KU, Prof S Fayyaz Ahmad, Advisor, DST, Dr A Mukhopadayay and Shri Sanjay Panday, chief officer accounts, Sanjay Panday and Programme Coordinator, Prof M Z Chisti.