Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Jan 10 : Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) , Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed StartUp collaborations as well as academic projects that the University is pursuing with the support of Department of Biotechnology in particular and the Ministry of Science & Technology in general.
The Vice Chancellor was accompanied by Prof Satish Chandra Garkoti (Rector), Prof Supriya Chakraborty, Dean School of Life Sciences and other senior faculty from JNU who took up with the Minister and his team, probable potential areas of research in Plant Genomics, Life Sciences etc.
Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit also briefed Dr Jitendra Singh about the new advances in the University after she took over as Vice Chancellor as well as the campus infrastructure development and the prestigious institution’s contribution to jobs creation.
The delegation discussed in detail the ongoing societal development projects of the JNU supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)under the ‘Boost to University Interdisciplinary Life science Departments for Education and Research’ (DBT-BUILDER)programme. The delegation also highlighted the 25 sophisticated state-of-the-art instruments available at the Advanced Instrumentation Research Facility (AIRF) catering to interdisciplinary applications in research to all the JNU Science Schools as well as other academic research institutes and private companies/ industries within and outside Delhi.
Stressing upon an integrated approach among the academia, StartUps and Industry, Dr Jitendra Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created an ecosystem for India to emerge as the world’s knowledge-based economy and over the last few years, it has grown by leaps and bound when it comes to innovation and technology. India stands today as one of the leading nations of the world in terms of scientific and technological prowess, he said.
Underlining the ‘Whole of Science’ approach, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Department of Science & Technology has instituted joint monthly meetings of all scientific departments of the Govt of India to focus on infrastructure development and spur jobs creation.There is huge potential in JNU’s School of Life Sciences to encourage students to launching Startups in Aroma Mission and Agriculture Startups with support from DBT’s BIRAC PPP model, he said.
“The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) and the new National Education Policy (NEP-2020) supplement the StartUp ecosystem with the promise to open new career and entrepreneurship opportunities for students and youth in India,” he said.
Prof. Pandit mentioned the JNU’s School of Life Sciences is the first to implement the NEP 2020 in its M.Sc programme while the B. Tech (Computer Science) programme has emerged as a tremendous success among the students. She also mentioned that the University is providing Live Feed and Recorded Videos of subject lectures to IIT Delhi students and the same can be provided free of cost to students of other Institutions while the same will be available to foreign students at a nominal cost.
Prof. Pandit, who is the first woman Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious University and also the first alumni VC of JNU, also sought the Minister’s attention to granting JNU the status of Institution of Eminence.JNU has recently adopted its motto ‘Tamso Maa Jyotirgamaya’, focusing on new avenues of learning and employment generation for the youth, she said.
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