Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru Jan 3: National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed an MoU to carry out advanced joint R&D activities in the area of Space Technology Applications here at NITK Surathkal on Friday January 3, and set up a Regional Academic Centre for Space (RAC-S) at NITK Surathkal to pursue advanced research in the areas of relevance to the future technological and programmatic needs of the Indian Space Programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Director CPBO - Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Dr P V Venkita Krishnan said, "Through this MoU signing, we have created an understanding between ISRO and NITK. We have given unlimited power and students can make use of the opportunity they get. This will empower the students in the field of research.
"The centre is applicable only to the space technology and the space technology subject is beyond your imagination. The reason behind a lot of researchers not opting for space technology research is because space technology is a highly expensive area and demands a lot of investment and commitment."
Director NITK Surathkal, Prof Umamaheshwar Rao said, "This is the signing of a commitment and is a challenge to live up to the expectation of this centre as well as the beginning of an uphill task.
"The centre will act as a facilitator for the promotion of space technology activities in the southern region comprising the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Lakshadweep and will become an ambassador for capacity building, awareness creation and R & D activities of ISRO, in the region. The activities of RAC-S will be directed to maximize the use of research potential, infrastructure, expertise and experience already existent in ISRO and NITK, Surathkal. The RAC-S will also facilitate and engage other institutes of excellence in the region to take part in capacity building, awareness creation and R&D activities related to Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications.
The RAC-S will consist of faculty members and researchers from NITK Surathkal and visiting scientists and experts from ISRO. The activities of the centre will be guided by a Joint Policy and Management Committee (JPMC) consisting of top executives from the two organizations. The JPMC will plan the promotional activities including the research programmes of common interest and periodically review such research programmes and related activities. JPMC will also facilitate collaborative activities between the partner institutions of southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Lakshadweep. ISRO will provide necessary annual grant, as recommended by the JPMC, to the tune of Rs 2.00 crore per year for the conduct of R&D projects, promotional activities and administrative expenses.
The joint R&D activity will actively engage students of NITK and partner institutions. While BTech and MTech students will be engaged in carrying out short term research projects of one-year duration, PhD students will be engaged in long-term projects of 2-4 years relevant to the advancement of space programme. Eligible students will also receive research fellowships during the project period. The intellectual property generated as part of this research activity will be jointly owned by ISRO and NITK.
After the MoU signing, a one-day workshop on 'Space Technology Applications’ was held which was inaugurated by the chairman of ISRO, Dr K Sivan. Four senior scientists from ISRO will deliver lectures on the latest R&D work being conducted in ISRO as part of this workshop. They will also interact with the faculty members and students of NITK to motivate the students to participate actively in the research projects supported under this Regional Academic Centre.