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Bill soon to convert NITs into centres of excellence

Special Correspondent

100 crore scheme for upgrading the infrastructure of IISc

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the introduction of a Bill to convert the National Institutes of Technology into centres of excellence like IITs and cleared a proposal for spending Rs. 100 crores for upgrading the infrastructure of the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore.

Announcing the decisions, Union Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said that the leglislation with regards to the NITs would be introduced in the current session of Parliament.

The Rs. 100 crore scheme for the IISc would include the upgradation of its laboratory infrastructure and introduction of programmes for attracting and retaining high quality faculty and students.

The Cabinet also gave its nod for the design and development of a Resourcesat-2 mission at an estimated cost of Rs. 139 crores as an in-orbit replacement for the IRS P6 (Resourcesat-1) mission to provide continuity of remote sensing data service data for integrated land and water resources management, activities relating to agricultural crop acreage and production estimation and applications in the area of disaster management.

The Cabinet also approved the introduction of a Bill to set up a National Jute Board at Kolkatta as part of an exercise to restructure and coordinate the operations of the organisations functioning in the jute sector.

Revival package

In addition, it cleared a revival package for the Cement Corporation of India, which envisages expansion and modernisation of its Bokajan, Tandur and Ranban units and closure of Adilabad, Nayagaon, Charki Dadri, Mandhar, Kurkusnta, Akaltara and Delhi and Bhatinda grinding units. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which also met on Thursday, approved an additional input of Rs. 77 crores for the Catalytic Development Programme for the sericulture sector, and gave its nod for the rehabilitation package for Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited.

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