Institute of Mathematics and Applications. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 3: Efforts are on to turn the state-funded Institute of Mathematics and Applications (IMA) here into a centrally-funded institution.

Even as 2012 is observed as National Mathematical Year, the IMA authorities here are doing their best to pursue the takeover of the institute by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation.

The ministry runs the Indian Statistical Institutes (ISI) in Calcutta, Delhi, Bangalore and Assam, which produce the largest number of math graduates in the country.

“We have already contacted minister Srikant Jena, who heads the statistics ministry, to explore the possibility of IMA being taken over by the ministry with a goal to expand it and make it as big as an ISI. We have had preliminary discussions and chances seem positive,” said director of the institute Swadhin Pattanayak.

The premier institute, in its 13th year, now draws several outstation candidates.

However, it continues to struggle for the want of adequate faculty members, infrastructure and funds crunch.

At present, IMA has just one permanent faculty member and four guest faculty members.

“We have got one of the best collections of books. But in the absence of a proper library building, we are forced to operate it from a classroom,” said Pattanayak. The absence of sufficient accommodation facilities also posed problems to outstation students, he said.

“If the institute is centrally funded, the first thing we would do is appoint faculty members, build a library and arrange for hostel facilities for students. The institute has the potential to be developed into an institute of repute, provided we have sufficient funds,” said Pattanayak.

“This is an opportune time to try to turn the state-funded IMA into a centrally-funded institution. It is time for the state government to take steps to make this happen. We must take advantage of the current opportunity and not only make the institute centrally funded but also make it as big as the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta,” said Chitta Baral, professor, Arizona State University, who is also working towards this.

“The motivation behind establishing a new Indian Statistical and Mathematical Institute in Odisha is that there is a severe shortage of mathematics graduates at all levels. Plus, IMA Bhubaneswar has been in existence for 12 years and is already doing a very good job by promoting mathematics at all levels, even though on a smaller scale,” Baral said.