Establishment and operationalization of new Indian Institute of Science Education and Research at Berhampur, Odisha

The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the following:

i. Ex-post facto approval for formation of an Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Berhampur Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860;

ii. Establishment and operationalisation of IISER, Berhampur in a transit/ temporary campus from the Academic Year 2016-17, which will involve a cost of Rs.I52.79 crore, for the initial three years (2016-19), and ex-post facto approval of starting the academic session of 2016-17 from 1st August, 2016;

iii. Accepting land, free of cost, from the State Government of Odisha;

iv. Creation of the post of Director of the Institute in the Pay Scale of Rs.80,000 (Fixed); and

v. Introduction of a Bill, namely, the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016 (Appendix-Ill) in Parliament for inclusion of IISER, Tirupati and IISER, Berhampur in the Second Schedule of National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER) Act, 2007 (29 of 2007) with such modifications/ changes of the drafting and consequential nature as may be considered by the Legislative Department.

Background:

The Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) have been declared as Institutes of National Importance under the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education & Research (NITSER) Act, 2012. These Institutes are envisaged to carry out research in frontier areas of science and to provide quality science education at the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate level. Earlier there were five IISERs at Kolkata, Pune, Mohali, Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram. After coming to power this Government started an IISER at Tirupati in 2015.

To increase the presence of IISERs in various States/ geographical locations to cater to the need for quality education in science and research, the Union Finance Minister, in his Budget Speech (2015) had announced setting up of an IISER in the State of Odisha.

Accordingly, today the Cabinet approved the setting up of IISER Berhampur at the transit/ temporary campus at academic-cum-workshop building of the Government ITI, Berhampur. The student strength intake for this year in the BS-MS course is 60 which will progressively go up and the cumulative student strength is envisaged as 665 in the 3rd year, including MS Degree, MS-Ph.D, Ph.D and Post-Doctoral Fellowships. The total cost of the project for temporary campus is Rs. 152.79 crores. EdCIL, a PSU of Ministry of HRD, Government of India has been asked to submit a proposal for preparation of detailed Project Report for the permanent campuses. Thereafter the process for setting up of the campus would start.

Courtesy – Press Information Bureau, Government of India