PATNA: The universities and colleges in Bihar are likely to get handsome grants from the Union science and technology department for strengthening teaching and research activities in science subjects.
The universities of the state presented the details of their requirements before the department’s standing committee headed by Hyderabad Central University VC E Hasnain in New Delhi last week. The committee members may visit the state universities soon for making a final assessment of the grants to be doled out.
Patna University (PU) science faculty dean and coordinator of the scheme Arun Kumar Sinha, who presented the university’s requirements before the committee, said Rs 20 crore has been sought for PG science departments and another Rs 15 crore for the colleges of PU.
Bihar is the third state after Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern states to get a special package from Union science and technology department for strengthening science teaching and research. As proposed, 60 select colleges of the state would be getting Rs 50 lakh each and each university would be getting Rs 1.5 crore.
A high-level team of the department led by its secretary visited Bihar in May last year and interacted with the VCs and other senior officials of the universities in the state. The team advised the universities to assess their requirements properly and submit the same to the department.
PU departments have already submitted details of their future activities and funds required for their implementation to the coordinator. There are eight science departments in PU and if the university gets its share of Rs 1.5 crore, each department would get about Rs 20 lakh.
very good