Mumbai: Five new IITs of Basic Sciences

Mumbai, May 29: Five new Centres for IITs of Basic Sciences are being set up in the country in order to turn out the best minds in basic sciences Stating that it is truly an innovative initiation, like the Government of India had taken 50 years ago to bring up IITs, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) Center Head Prof Arvind Kumar told UNI ''the aim of these special centres is to nurture world class scientists for the country who will take up challenging research and teaching assignments in Universities, R&D labs and industry''.

Prof Arvind said that these centres are being set up in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar and Mohali in Punjab.

The Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) at Mumbai University, Indian institute of science Education and Research (IISER)-Kolkata, IISER-Mohali and National institute of Science Education and Research (NISEC)-Bhubaneshwar in Orrisa will be the new major centres for basic sciences. Mumbai and Kolkata centres will commence their academic sessions from 2007-08.

''All the five institutes will carry a motto of 'teaching embedded in a research environment' with faculty being drawn from eminent scientists and experts,'' Prof Arvind asserted.

Equipped with state-of-the-art labs and libraries, these institutes will provide world-class facilities for research and higher studies in basic sciences.

''In these institutes, a very feasible inter-desciplinary curriculum will be introduced for the studies under the integrated courses,'' he added.

IISER and NISER will be recognized as a centre of excellence in science education and research in four basic sciences viz. biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. At a later stage activities will expand to include earth and planetary, engineering and computer science.

UNI