Ranchi, June 26: BIT-Mesra today signed an MoU with the industries department to start a training centre in plastic processing at the institute.

BIT vice-chancellor S.K. Mukherjee and industries director Rajesh Agarwal signed the MoU for the centre.

Industries minister Ravindra Rai presented a cheque of Rs 1 crore to the technical institute to start the centre, which will function under the department of polymer engineering and conduct three different courses.

The centre will run a one-year course for a plastic processing operator and a mould and dye-making technician. A separate course for plastic processing will also be conducted for six months.

The institute will conduct the course for 20 students. Polymer engineering department head Mandira Mukherjee said the course is new in this part of the country. “There are good prospects for growth in the field of plastics. It is an unknown area and plastics are replacing commonly used metals. The use of plastics is increasing and is bound to grow in the coming years,” Mukherjee said.

Industries minister Rabindra Rai said: “The trend is changing. Students are not going in for routine engineering courses. There is plenty of scope in new areas and students are on the look out for new courses which will help them carve a niche for for themselves. The government will try to help and provide assistance to educational institutes to pursue new courses for the welfare of students.”