Centre unveils initiative to upgrade analytical instrumentation facilities

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday launched an initiative to provide financial support for the upgradation and maintenance of analytical instrumentation facilities (AIFs) created under the ministry's support.

The Support for Up-gradation Preventive Repair and Maintenance of Equipment (SUPREME), a first-of-its-kind programme by the government, extends financial support for repair, upgradation, maintenance, retrofitting, or acquiring additional attachments to increase functional capabilities of existing analytical instrumentation facilities.

Such facilities at institutions recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) are eligible to apply for grants under SUPREME.

Addressing the 'Vishwavidyalaya Anusandhan Utsav 2023' here, Singh also announced a special drive for start-ups and research and development activities for universities of the northeastern region, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, in addition to Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, and Rajasthan.

"In India's quest for a competitive advantage, our universities and related institutions need to play a major role towards generating high calibre human resources as repositories of national intellectual wealth in the S&T sector," the minister said.

Singh said the government is committed to investing heavily in building research infrastructure in the country and the Department of Science and Technology, under the Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) has supported 3,074 departments and postgraduate colleges at a total budget of about Rs 3,130.82 crore.

The Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) with a nationwide reach supports the research ecosystem of universities by making high-end research equipment available to academicians and scientists, and enabling universities to compete with the global standards, he said.