In expansion mode: Jadavpur University will soon have another campus across the road. A Telegraph picture

Jadavpur University (JU) will have a third campus as soon as the Centre completes the legal formalities for transferring National Instruments Ltd to the institution.

A team of central government officials met university authorities this month and confirmed the sick public sector unit’s handover to the university.

“Details of the transfer have been worked out. It can be effected any time,” said Manoj Mitra, the dean of the university’s technology faculty.

The government had set September as the target for handing over the unit, located opposite the university’s main campus in Jadavpur. The university’s second campus is in Salt Lake.

“We are hoping that the transfer is completed by the time the university opens after the Puja vacation,” Mitra said.

JU had approached the state government nearly four years ago with a proposal to take over National Instruments Ltd and use it as an advanced research laboratory, thus becoming the first university in the country to attempt to take over a sick public sector undertaking. Research projects have not been undertaken at National Instruments — which has a large, well-equipped laboratory — for years.

“Apart from pursuing advanced research, the university wants to use the unit’s infrastructure to introduce academic programmes in emerging areas. We will also be able to promote industry-institute interaction and technology development after taking over National Instruments,” said a senior teacher of the engineering faculty.

Transfer of the unit will solve the university’s space problem, a deficiency that was pointed out by a team from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) after an inspection last week.

The university authorities, too, had felt the need to expand. They had formally asked the state government for a 100-acre plot in Baruipur, on the southern fringes, for a campus with modern facilities.

“We need to set up advanced laboratories and start new courses to attract talent. Since the government is unable to allot 100 acres in Baruipur, the National Instruments premises can be used as our third campus,” said a senior university official.

According to him, the government agreed in principle to hand over 100 acres but cannot allot more than 50 acres now.