Foundation stone laid for Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and union minister of state for Human Resource Development  D Purandeshwari inaugurated Under Graduate Men’s Hostel building and laid foundation stone for Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity, Bioprospecting and Sustainable Development Building on Saturday.

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and Government of India have recognised University of Mysore as an institute of excellence and had awarded a special grant of Rs 100 crores in 2009-10 budget (11th finance scheme) through UGC, New Delhi.

Under the Institution of Excellence Scheme, Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity, Bioprospecting and Sustainable Development is granted with Rs 50.37 crore and funds for strengthening teaching and learning infrastructure is Rs 49.63 crore.

Centre of Excellence building planned in 7,460 square metre of plinth area in the Manasagangothri campus facing Hunsur Road, would require Rs 10.25 crore including civil, electrical, water supply, sanitary and furnishing works. Three units are planned in the building of Centre of Excellence.

Unit one would be laboratories block with provision for 16 research labs. The laboratory block is for research purpose of different departments of Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Folklore, Anthropology, Food Science and Nutrition, Sericulture Science, Environmental Science, Biotechnology, Earth Science, Microbiology and other subjects.

Unit two, the Administrative and Teaching block would accommodate four teaching classrooms, staff rooms, meeting hall, office, library and digital library.

Unit three of auditorium and research scholar’s block would consist of an auditorium with 216 seating arrangements for seminar and conferences purpose and eight rooms for research scholars are provided.

Men’s hostel

A new building is constructed in Maharaja’s College Hostel Campus with an estimated cost of Rs 3.80 crore in an area of 3365 square metres. The hostel would accommodate 276 students with 46 rooms, each accommodating six students. Two teaching classrooms, computer room, gymnasium, dining hall, modern kitchen, toilets, bathrooms and other basic facilities are provided within the newly built hostel building.