Major portion of IISER campus work completed

Berhampur: IISER-Berhampur Director Prof Ashok Kumar Ganguli said 75 per cent of the construction work of permanent campus of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), situated at Laudigam, 25 km from here, has been completed. “We have asked the CPWD to expedite it,” he said.

Work on the boundary wall is expected to be completed by November. Efforts are on to expedite the construction of peripheral roads to prevent entry of public into the campus. Some residential towers are nearing completion and it is expected to be handed over to IISER-Berhampur by October 2023, sources said.

During the 2022-23 academic year, the first, second and third year students have been allotted rooms in the hostel on the permanent campus.

“We have accommodated boys and girls on different floors of the Boys Hostel. The kitchen and dining block are being used as a student mess at ground floor. The first floor is utilised as a 200-seater classroom and a library,” Prof Ganguly said.

“We are also recruiting more faculty members to teach our 1,200 students. The number of faculty members would be more than 100 from the existing 40,” the Director said.

IISER-Berhampur is one of the youngest among seven IISERs established to be the centre for scientific excellence in India. Set up in 2016, the institute was later declared as the Institute of National Importance under NITSER Act 2007.