In spotlight: The Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb. 28: The Union government?s grant of a whopping Rs 100 crore to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the alma mater of several renowned scientists, has stirred hopes of reform aimed at a revamp of research facilities and universities across the country.

The grant, announced on National Science Day, set off jubilation at IISc with scientists discussing how the ?global visibility? achieved by this institute had caught the attention of the Centre. It also meant setting goals in terms of top-quality research in the frontier areas of science, turning out more research scholars and research papers at international conferences.

?The future is well defined in the sense that our growth cannot be linear any more. We will pursue a non-linear growth in our quest to turn into a world-class institution,? said Prof. . Balakrishnan, chairman of the Supercomputer Education & Research Centre at the institute. This facility built its own supercomputer when the US turned down a request for a Cray-XMP machine in the mid-80s.

The 96-year-old institute, spread over 440 acres, has more than 1,500 students and 400-odd faculty involved in research. In its hoary past, all top-notch scientists ? Sir C.V. Raman, Homi J. Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, J.C. Ghosh, M.S. Thacker, Satish Dhawan and Prof. C..R. Rao ? figured among the faculty.

In recent years, several multinationals have signed MoUs for projects in cutting-edge technology. Perhaps such a track record prompted a comment by Prof. Goverdhan Mehta, the director of the institute, that in certain aspects, the institute was comparable with the best in the world.

?We are delighted that the government has reposed faith in us. We are doing research on a par with leading laboratories elsewhere. We will strive to improve our standards by focusing on infrastructure and new initiatives in research,? he said.

As for Prof. Rao, the chairman of the Prime Minister?s Science Advisory Council and one who headed the institute for a decade, the grant translates into ?one step forward in the big scenario of Indian science?.