ISRO to set up Regional Academic Centre for Space at IIT-BHU

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT-BHU in Uttar Pradesh to set up a Regional Academic Centre for Space (RAC-S).

The agreement will pave the way for advanced research in the future technology of the Indian space programme.

According to Director of IIT-BHU, Prof P.K. Jain, the regional academic centre for space act as a major facilitator to promote space technology activities in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

IIT(BHU) & ISRO have signed MoU today for opening the Regional Academic Center for Space (RAC-S) in the Institute. Special gratitude to Dr K Sivan, Chairman, Shri R Umamaheswaran, Scientific Secretary & Dr PV Venkatakrishnan, Director, CBPO, ISRO HQ and also to all our faculty. pic.twitter.com/zKUvpAarXc

— IIT(BHU),Varanasi (@IITBHU_Varanasi) December 23, 2020

Key Highlights 

•Through the MoU, IIT-BHU will act as a catalyst for awareness creation, capacity building and research and development activities of ISRO.

•The activities of the academic centre will be targetted to maximise the utilisation of research potential, infrastructure and the expertise available at both ISRO and IIT-BHU.

•IIT-BHU will be the leader and project monitor of the regional academic centre for space.

•The centre will comprise institutes of excellence in science and technology field in the three states. The institutes will be roped in to participate in various research and development activities.

•The IIT-BHU will, with the help of the centre, leverage research in space science and space technology, agriculture, space application, telecommunications, water resources and meteorology to design developmental models for effective natural resource management.

Significance

•The regional academic centre for space is expected to greatly benefit the Purvanchal and central regions of the country. The centre will facilitate short-term and long-term projects to lead the culture of research and development.

•The short-term projects for B. Tech/M. Tech students from the institute or associate institutes will also be included in this sequence.

•The centre will also offer long-term research and development projects, which will lead up to the Ph.D. programme.

•Besides this, capacity building programmes such as conferences, exhibitions and short courses will also be organised to strengthen the knowledge base in the field.