Research funding needs to be hiked: SERB Secretary

Srinagar, May 9

The Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) today organised a seminar on “Current status of science, technology, and innovation in India: Where do we go from here?”.

In his address, Dr Akhilesh Gupta, senior adviser at the Department of Science and Technology, (DST) and Secretary, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), said educational institutions play a crucial role in fostering a culture of scientific inquiry and innovation. He said IUST has the potential to emerge as a premier research university.

Dr Gupta said there was need for increased research funding and infrastructure development in state universities to propel India towards global leadership.

Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, Vice-Chancellor, IUST, said that promotion of scientific temperament is a constitutional obligation and in the wake of NEP-2020, universities are required to prioritise research in areas critical to sustainable growth, societal upliftment, climate change, poverty eradication and so on and so forth. He said in the interest of nurturing research ecosystem at IUST, research centres such as Frontier Research Institute of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies, Centre for Disaster Reduction etc., have been established to transition towards becoming a research intensive university.

Prof AH Moon, Dean Academic Affairs said that IUST is making a mark in academics, research and innovation. He highlighted that the Ministry of Education, GOI, has awarded IUST a 4-star ranking for its accomplishments in the promotion of entrepreneurship, capacity building, skilling, innovation and incubation.