Rs 30 Crore Aid For Iisc Announced

The Prime Minister yesterday announced a Rs 30 crore central assistance to the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) here. The aid will be provided in a phased manner in the ninth plan.

Speaking to the IISC community after dedicating to the nation the Supercomputer Education Centre and releasing four technologies perfected by the institute, he said the scientific community should work as a single body and mind to make India economically stronger and a global player.

Science and technology is the basic infrastructure for development, without which the country cannot become globally competitive, he said and asked what is development without science and technology?

Stating that India had been competing with advanced countries, the Prime Minister said sincere efforts were being made to achieve the goal of reaching the pinnacle in every field. This is our goal and ambition, he said, and asked scientists to join the rest of the nation in the effort to make the country rich and globally dominant.

Lauding IISC's research activities, the Prime Minister said if the institute stood out as a reputed institute and model to the rest of the country, it was thanks to the foresight of J N Tata who founded it 80 years ago.

He assured the scientific community that science and technology would get its due share as it was a commitment of the United Front government.

Since providing Rs 30 crore in a single year would be difficult, government would release the amount requested by Indian Institute of Science for creating adequate infrastructural facilities in the ninth plan period beginning this year, Gowda said.

Earlier, human resources minister S R Bommai and science and technology minister Y K Alagh endorsed the demand of Padmanabhan for the Rs 30 crore assistance for which the IISC director had taken up with various governments.