The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Visvesvaraya Technological University on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a professional chair at the varsity for evolving policies and standards on environmental governance.
Christened ‘Parisara,’ the chair will encourage research in thrust areas and interdisciplinary topics aside from helping take up specific projects related to environmental pollution, prevention, control and management, said VTU Vice Chancellor H Maheshappa. The primary responsibility of the chair would be to coordinate projects concerning environmental issues in industries and elsewhere through KSPCB and VTU, he added.
Maheshappa said that the focus on research and development activities and interaction with various stakeholders would bring in a greater degree of professionalism in developing awareness to reduce pollution levels.
The other objectives of the chair include: promote interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary research and development works; create a data base of experts in engineering colleges affiliated to VTU and entrust them with projects concerning industries; identify centers of excellence in environment related areas in engineering colleges affiliated to VTU; support sponsoring agencies for organising conferences, seminars, symposia and workshops; take up capacity studies including monitoring and evaluation studies for industries; set up a state of the art lab to cater to the needs of industries and to build capacity of academic institutions
The chair will be created at VTU’s headquarters or in any of the regional centers of the University or its constituent colleges. To start the chair, both VTU and KSPCB will contribute Rs one crore as a corpus fund. The interest earned out of the deposit will be used for payment of salaries and contingency expenses of the chair.
A search committee headed by the chairperson of the KSPCB will be constituted to appoint the VTU Parisara Chair Professor. A candidate with a PhD or a master’s degree in environment and with a significant practical experience is eligible for the post.