MSU to set up Vikram Sarabhai science block

VADODARA: MS University (MSU) is all set to start a centralised instrumentation facility in the name of Gujarat's leading physicist and father of Indian space programme Dr Vikram Sarabhai. The sophisticated instrumentation centre, which will be first of its kind on the campus, will not only help teachers of the university in their research but also provide services to industry and other research centres of Gujarat. "The idea to have a centre dedicated to Dr Vikram Sarabhai wasmooted during a recent meeting of heads of departments after we realised thatthere is nothing on the campus in the name of the great Gujarati scientist. Wehave decided to set up Dr Vikram Sarabhai Science Block that will houseequipment in the area of life science research for which we have recently baggedgrants from Government of India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT)," said DrNikhil Desai, the dean of Faculty of Science.It was in August thatFaculty of Science for the first time had received Rs 13.5 crore grant from DBTfor inter-disciplinary life science programme. Rs eight crore of the grant willbe spent towards procuring sophisticated instruments like FACS, confocalmicroscope, real time PCR, HPLC system among others. "In the DBTscheme, we have been allowed to appoint technical persons for a period of fiveyears. At the same time, we are also hopeful of bagging more grants underDepartment of Science and Technology's newly initiated 'Promotion of UniversityResearch in Science Excellence' scheme. We will get more research equipmentunder that scheme," said Desai, adding that maintenance of equipment, a majorconcern for all the departments, would be addressed by giving services toindustry and other institutes. "We have allocated 50,000 square feetland for the proposed centre near Sir Sayajirao Memorial Trust Library in the DNHall campus as the faculty is presently facing space constraints," said MSUvice-chancellor professor Ramesh Goyal. The faculty is also mootinga proposal whereby some under-graduate classes like that of first or second-yearBachelors of Science programme or department like environment science can beshifted to the proposed building.prashant.rupera@timesgroup.com