Bisma Bhat
Srinagar: Scientific research is set to receive a boost after the government approved to establish the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation for Research at the University of Kashmir.
Set up at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore, the Centre will have state of the art equipment including a mass spectrometer, Confocal Microscope, NGS platform (Hiseq 2000), DNA sequence (Sanger), Atomic Force Microscopy, Ultracentrifuges with multiple rotors, Liquid Nitrogen Plant, and High-end computational facility.
The equipment alone will cost around Rs 28 crore. While Rs 1.5 crore will be spent on maintenance and consumables and Rs 50 lakh will be spent on the salaries of three technicians for the first five years.
An official of Kashmir University said high throughput and high-resolution technologies, which is the key to making important discoveries and understanding different processes, are neither available at the varsity nor any other institution in the UT.
“By establishing such a center at Kashmir University will promote the research ecosystem in the Jammu and Kashmir. This facility would not only be utilized by the faculty and students of the Kashmir University but it would also be extended to the students, scholars, and teachers of other institutions as well,” he said.
An official document of Kashmir University accessed by The Kashmir Monitor said the main objectives for establishing the facility is to provide the students and researchers a modern facility and analytical instruments which will enable them to perform high-quality research.
“The students will be capable of seeking funding for research projects that involve advanced cutting edge research, the researcher will be able to address local problems faced by the people in health, environment, agriculture, and other sectors,” the document said.
Kashmir University Registrar, Nisar Ahmad Mir was not available for the comment.
