PM Modi to visit Odisha in Oct/Nov to inaugurate IISER

Berhampur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Berhampur during October or November next to inaugurate the permanent campus of IISER Odisha, said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The work is in full swing and is expected to be completed soon, he said, while addressing 'Karyakarta Sammelan' of BJP in the Esaneswar Temple complex at Golanthara on Sunday.

The first student hostel at the permanent campus 'Vigyanpuri' of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Berhampur, was inaugurated by Dharmendra Pradhan in the presence of Prof K V R Chary, director, IISER, on Monday.

The Ministry of HRD (now Ministry of Education) approved the establishment and operationalisation of permanent campus at a total cost of Rs.1,582.78 crore. The construction work kick started on September 5, 2019. The development of the permanent campus is in full swing.

As a part of the project, the first hostel building built at an estimated cost of Rs 49.8 crore has been completed and is ready for use.

Around 200-acre land in Laoudigaon was identified by the Ganjam district administration for this premier institute which was approved by the Union Ministry. The IISER uses the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Berhampur as the temporary or the transit campus.

On October 10, 2017, Prof Chary took over as the new director. On May 18, 2018 CPWD invited Suresh Goel and Associates to be the architectural consultant. On October 10, 2018 the Union Cabinet approved the DPR of IISER. On December 17, 2018 the master plan of the campus, as prepared by Suresh Goel and Associates, in association with an international architect STUDIOS Architecture was approved by the FC and BoG.

On December 24, 2018, Modi announced the permanent campus. On September 3, 2019 the CPWD awarded the construction work to NKG Infrastructure Ltd, Delhi. On September 5, 2019, IISER performed the groundbreaking ceremony.

Development of three dedicated zones on the permanent campus has been planned. It includes institutional campus with an auditorium and indoor stadium, a residential complex housing apartments, a commercial complex, a community hall, a health centre and a hostel complex with kitchen and a dining block at walkable distance from the academic block.

The IISERs are new experiments in science education as they are having an interdisciplinary approach. The institute offers an integrated five-year Master of Science degree as well as PhD programmes. The financial outlay for each IISERs is Rs 500 crore for a period of five years.

For the first two-and-a-half years, the students will be taught various topics related to mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. Stress will be on research and hands-on experience in various areas of science, sources said.