The President of India on Thursday sanctioned the northern area science and know-how cluster proposed by Panjab University (PU) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar. The cluster will have interaction with academia, trade, authorities, NGOs and philanthropists of the northern area to unravel grassroots issues.

The cluster, to be located on the PU campus in Guru Teg Bahadur Bhawan, will cater to the analysis & growth (R&D) wants of the industries, native our bodies and governments of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Union territories of J&Okay and Chandigarh.

To arrange the cluster and undertake the R&D undertaking, the federal government will sanction ₹10.35 crore as an ignition grant. At least 5 thematic areas, together with agriculture and meals processing, pharma/medical gadgets/health-care, indigenous know-how growth and optimisation, waste administration and wealth from waste, sustainable mobility and inexperienced vitality, have been recognized beneath which the seed funding might be supplied.

The S&T cluster will operate as a not-for-profit Section-8 firm located in Chandigarh and might be financially supported by the workplace of the principal scientific adviser (PSA) for 3 years. It is predicted to grow to be self-reliant by means of transferring applied sciences to the trade by doing industrial consultancy initiatives and by involvement in CSR initiatives.

PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig urged college students in addition to scientists to provoke their R&D initiatives whereas involving the end-users within the innovation journey from day zero of their initiatives.