Dr Moni Bhaumik Educational Foundation announces "Landmark project'

Kolkata, Jan 6 (UNI) Eminent NRI scientist Moni Bhowmik today announced his plan to set up a state-of-the-art institute of Information Technology in West Bengal with an investment of about 100 crore.

''Although everything is still in the planning stage, we have earmarked 2010 as the year when this institute can start functioning as one of the most reputed academies of Information Technology,'' he said, adding that Information Technology will become the basis of all endeavours in the coming years when the new institute would supplement IT-related education with a special focus in rural India.

Dr Bhaumik said he had also decided to tie-up with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a leading institute from the UK besides a reputed Indian university to initiate collaborative programmes at the proposed institute.

''West Bengal has the brains, it only needs more exposure and the tools to sharpen them,'' he commented.

Later, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee released Dr Bhaumik's new book on cosmology, ''Biswajeebani''. In addition, 20,000 copies were gifted to the chief minister by Dr Bhowmik for distributing them among the poor students.

As an ongoing process of encouraging and guiding students facing hardships with a desire for continuing their education, Dr Bhaumik, through his educational foundation today, awarded 18 more scholarships to 'poor but exceptionally meritorious' students, including two women this year, taking the total number to 101 since six years of its formation.

Among other dignitaries who were present on the occasion included the British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Simon Wilson and U S Consul General Henry Jardine.

UNI