Centre clears World class tehcnological institutes for Punjab

New Delhi, July 2 (UNI) The Centre today gave its clearance for a Rs. 400 crore package for setting up of a cluster of premier techonolgy institutes- a world class National Institute of Bio-technology for Agri-foods and a Rs 150 crore National Institute for Nanotechnology- in Punjab.

In addition, the Union Government has agreed to upgrade the Medical Institute at Jalandhar to a National Institute for Research in Health Sciences on the pattern of the country's only such centre at Chitra Trinamool with an annual funding of Rs. 100 crore.

Punjab's proposal for the setting up of a Centre of Excellence of Key Seed Technologies through genetic engineering in the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana also got the nod from the centre.

In another major decision the centre asked the Punjab Government to identify at least one college in every city to be given the prestigious status of a "Star Life Sciences College". These college would be treated as role models in excellence in learning. The skills and the level of learning of facility of these colleges would be constantly updated through special courses. The centre would provide technical backup.

In another landmark decision, the centre also gave a green signal to the Centre of Excellence for Research and Marketing for Medical and Aromatic Plants which dominate the foothills of Punjab along the Himachal border.

Punjab's case for a world class Institute for Bio-technology-based Programmes for Women and Rural Development has also been reserved for "positive response after appropriate clearance." The centre's nod for the clearance of these projects came at the end of a meeting between the Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal and the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Vigyan Kendra here this afternoon. Mr Sibal assured Mr Badal of "total central backing in the Punjab government's ambitious plans for the application of science and Technology to areas such as health, education, agriculture, pollution control and rural and urban development." Mr Badal urged Mr Sibal to get the National Bio-technology policy cleared at the earliest. The center would issue a notification in this regard within a month, the Union Minister assured him.

The centre has also agreed to extend the 3-D mapping technology to Punjab. This will dramatically improve the geo-climatic evaluation in every nook and corner of the state and will have a major impact on its agricultural economy. The same technology would also be extended to urban areas to ensure planned and regulated development of cities.

Among the other proposals which received the government of India's nod were the establishment of an Institute of Innovative and Emerging Technologies at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and the setting up of a first-of-its kind Centre of Excellence for Technology Assessment and Transfer. To begin with, the Institute would include a Centre for Bio-pesticides and a Centre for Genetic Engineering. The bio-pesticide technology would be developed at the centre in the GNDU and would be field tested and standardized in collaboration with the P.A.U, Ludhiana. The GNDU and the Medical College Amritsar would join hands for the development and application of genetic engineering technology.

The Centre also agreed in principal for setting up a centre of Biotechnology for Veterinary and Animal Sciences in order to strengthen the existing veterinary infrastructure in the state.

Worried about the ground water getting polluted and salinated, making it unfit for human consumption, the Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to set up demonstration project for desalination of under ground water to make it fit for human consumption and also of a low cost sewage system.

The Chief Minister said benefits of the Scholarship for High Education(SHE) scheme of the Ministry, should give some consideration to rural students to build scientific temper in them.

The Minister said students from Punjab would get a lion share in national scholarship scheme offering ten thousand scholarship. Mr Badal also requested for starting summer classes for rural students to develop scientific temper in them.

The Union Minister also approved Biotechnology course for Degree College being run in village Badal and the Ministry would send a expert team to give guidance to the college facility.

The Punjab contingent included apart from Chief Minister the Minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia, , Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr J S Bajaj, Media Advisor Mr Harcharan Bains, Chief Secretary Mr R I Singh,Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry Mr S C Aggarwal, Principal Secretary Transport Mr D S Jaspal, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr.

D S Guru Secretary Science and Technology Mr M P Singh, Principal Resident Commissioner Mrs Anjuly Chib Duggal, Mr Ajay Mahajan Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister.

The Government of India was represented besides Union Minister by Dr T Ramaswami Secretary Science and Technology, Dr Bhan Secretary Biotechnology, Dr T P S Goel Secretary Earth Sciences, Dr S Natesh Advisor Bio-Technology, Dr Laxaman Prasad Adviser Science and Technology Mr Prakash Kumar Joint Secretary Earth Sciences, Mr Ajagiri Rao, Adviser Science and Technology Dr Y P Kumar Adviser International Division.

UNI