ISRO RAC

 As we joyfully unveil, it's all hues of bliss. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) intends to open a Regional Academic Centre for Space at the National Institute of Technology, Patna (NITP) to encourage students to pursue careers in space research. The NITP and the ISRO signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard on Wednesday, November 25, 2021. The ISRO headquarters were represented by Sudheer Kumar N, director of CBPO (Capacity Building Programme Office), and MA Paul, associate director (response and academic interface-CBPO), while our esteemed director Prof. P. K. Jain was present from our side.

The Regional Academic Centre for Space is a regional-level project that seeks to conduct advanced research in areas relevant to the future technological and programmatic needs of the space program. Other current Regional Academic Centres for Space are located in prestigious colleges such as MNIT, Jaipur, NIT Kurukshetra, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, Gauhati University, and NIT K, Surathkal.

The ISRO's research and development operations in the Eastern India region (including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andaman, the Nicobar Islands, and Sikkim) would be coordinated through NIT-Patna. Sudheer, Director of CBPO, stated that the RAC-S center will serve as a facilitator for space technology operations. He also discussed the research areas and how to get involved in the initiative. The ISRO will also provide financial assistance in the amount of Rs. 2 crores per year.

Director, NIT Patna, Prof. P. K. Jain, addressing the event, promised that NITP will encourage research activities in different fields, including electronics, communication, material science, information technology, and remote sensing, by the needs of the ISRO. If any institute in eastern India requires experimental help, our facility would be available. The funding is available not just for research initiatives, but also for undergraduate, postgraduate, Ph.D., and teaching faculty.

The short-term projects will be for NITP and other institutes' B. Tech and M. Tech students. The center will also provide Ph.D. scholars and faculty members with long-term research and development projects. The projects can be individual projects or projects in collaboration with another institute. The projects will be scrutinized twice, first by the NITP and subsequently by the ISRO.