Media Lab Asia To Be Govt Research Entity

The Union Cabinet today approved the restructuring of Media Lab Asia as a wholly-owned government-funded research outfit.

In an attempt to transform the Rs 5,000 crore controversial project into a research hub, the government has also decided on a budgetary support of Rs 65 crore per year to the entity.

Media Lab Asia will be guided by a steering committee that will include Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Information Technology Minister Arun Shourie.

The decision of the Union Cabinet to retain the project as a government research and development entity, which will have project-based relations with institutes, comes within months of the controversial withdrawal of the joint venture partner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of the US, from the project.

 

Announcing the decision of the Cabinet, Shourie said, "The government has approved an allocation of Rs 65 crore per year for the project. There will be no exclusive relationship with institutes like MIT. All relationships will be on a project-by-project basis."

The budgetary support will be provided for the next four years. "The steering committee will then undertake a review of the project and will take the future course of action," Shourie said.

"There will be a steering committee consisting completely of our own people. There will also be representatives from academic institutions who will carry out the research," he said, adding that the human resource and development secretary will also be associated with the steering committee.

The Media Lab Asia project was founded in 2001 to help develop technologies to benefit the Indian masses. The goal was to help the economically weaker sections of the society with affordable wireless and Internet technology.

Recently, MIT pulled out of the collaboration with India in less than two years citing differences with Shourie over focus and management of research projects.