Mangaluru, January 3

To carry out advanced joint research and development (R&D) activities in the area of space technology applications, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set up a Regional Academic Centre for Space (RAC-S) at National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) at Surathkal in Mangaluru taluk.

Speaking to presspersons after signing the memorandum of understanding at Surathkal on Friday, P V Venkitakrishnan, Director of CBPO (Capacity Building Programme Office), ISRO, said that the centre will help pursue advanced research in the areas of relevance to the future technological and programmatic needs of the Indian space programme.

The centre will act as a facilitator for the promotion of space technology activities in the southern region comprising Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Lakshadweep. It will become an ambassador for the capacity building, awareness creation, and R&D activities of ISRO in the region, he said.

The activities of RAC-S will be directed to maximize the use of the research potential, infrastructure, expertise and experience already existent in ISRO and NITK. The centre will consist of faculty members and researchers from NITK and visiting scientists and experts from ISRO.

He said that the activities of the centre will be guided by a Joint Policy and Management Committee (JPMC) consisting of top executives from the two organizations. The JPMC will plan the promotional activities, including the research programmes of common interest, and review such research programmes and related activities on periodic basis.

JPMC will also facilitate collaborative activities between the partner institutions of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Lakshadweep.

Venkitakrishnan said that ISRO will provide necessary annual grant, as recommended by the JPMC, to the tune of ₹2 crore for conducting R&D projects, promotional activities and administrative expenses.

K Umamaheswara Rao, Director of NITK, said that B Tech and M Tech students will be engaged in carrying out short-term research projects of one year duration, PhD students will be engaged in long-term projects of two-four years relevant to the advancement of space programme.

He said that eligible students will also receive research fellowships during the project period. The intellectual property generated as part of this research activity will be jointly owned by ISRO and NITK.