<p>The 1,500-acre second campus of the Indian Institute of Science at Challakere in Chitradurga district is unlikely to get any special funds. <br /><br /></p>.<p>This is one among several reasons why the planned particle physics accelerator known as the giant synchrotron will not also be coming up anytime soon near Chitradurga, which is expected to be a hi-tech science hub in about four to six years. The IISc is forced to depend purely on its internal resources and a small grant perhaps from the State government for the second campus.<br /><br />Senior academics at IISc are a shade surprised why a special or separate fund has not been created for the second campus coming up at Challakere. <br /><br />It would be a matter of Rs 200-300 crore fund or even less that would be required to start building departments. The original campus runs on a budget of Rs 500 crore, but given inflation, this could now be around Rs 650-700 crore. Even if this amount for the second campus is difficult to spare, a special fund of at least Rs 200-300 crore is not difficult to carve out between the department of Science and Technology (DST), IISc and the State government, academics reason.<br /><br />A senior academic pointed out that IISC had to look inward to generate resources: “IISc is forced to make its own plans on generating resources given that there is no special fund for the second campus. There is some scepticism among seniors who are wondering why the State government cannot do more.”<br /><br />What IISc Director Anurag Kumar told Deccan Herald earlier kind of reflects the mood over the second campus. “The synchrotron project was being pursued four, five years ago. But now I see nobody pursuing it anymore,” Kumar had said. Protests by local residents against possible displacement, problems pertaining to land acquisition, and financial crunch are being seen as possible reasons why no one wants to go ahead with the project. <br /><br />The huge particle accelerator was to be established at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore and the project had received in-principle approval. <br /><br />It was to be part of the 10,000-acre land parcel earmarked in Challakere for Isro, Barc and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), apart from IISc itself. The giant circular facility which was to be built over an area of 100 acres (making it one of the largest such particle physics facilities in India and the world), would have helped develop better medical imaging equipment, aid drug discovery and research, develop therapies to treat cancer and even understand the reaction of living cells to drugs.<br /><br />Not taking interest in a critical science project like synchrotron would send wrong signals to teachers, students and researchers. They would then look towards China, Switzerland, Germany and Italy for higher research. Hardworking researchers would also be lost to universities in the West, particularly the US.<br /></p>
<p>The 1,500-acre second campus of the Indian Institute of Science at Challakere in Chitradurga district is unlikely to get any special funds. <br /><br /></p>.<p>This is one among several reasons why the planned particle physics accelerator known as the giant synchrotron will not also be coming up anytime soon near Chitradurga, which is expected to be a hi-tech science hub in about four to six years. The IISc is forced to depend purely on its internal resources and a small grant perhaps from the State government for the second campus.<br /><br />Senior academics at IISc are a shade surprised why a special or separate fund has not been created for the second campus coming up at Challakere. <br /><br />It would be a matter of Rs 200-300 crore fund or even less that would be required to start building departments. The original campus runs on a budget of Rs 500 crore, but given inflation, this could now be around Rs 650-700 crore. Even if this amount for the second campus is difficult to spare, a special fund of at least Rs 200-300 crore is not difficult to carve out between the department of Science and Technology (DST), IISc and the State government, academics reason.<br /><br />A senior academic pointed out that IISC had to look inward to generate resources: “IISc is forced to make its own plans on generating resources given that there is no special fund for the second campus. There is some scepticism among seniors who are wondering why the State government cannot do more.”<br /><br />What IISc Director Anurag Kumar told Deccan Herald earlier kind of reflects the mood over the second campus. “The synchrotron project was being pursued four, five years ago. But now I see nobody pursuing it anymore,” Kumar had said. Protests by local residents against possible displacement, problems pertaining to land acquisition, and financial crunch are being seen as possible reasons why no one wants to go ahead with the project. <br /><br />The huge particle accelerator was to be established at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore and the project had received in-principle approval. <br /><br />It was to be part of the 10,000-acre land parcel earmarked in Challakere for Isro, Barc and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), apart from IISc itself. The giant circular facility which was to be built over an area of 100 acres (making it one of the largest such particle physics facilities in India and the world), would have helped develop better medical imaging equipment, aid drug discovery and research, develop therapies to treat cancer and even understand the reaction of living cells to drugs.<br /><br />Not taking interest in a critical science project like synchrotron would send wrong signals to teachers, students and researchers. They would then look towards China, Switzerland, Germany and Italy for higher research. Hardworking researchers would also be lost to universities in the West, particularly the US.<br /></p>
