NIT Srinagar gets DST-FIST grant of Rs 2.67 crores

Srinagar  : Two departments of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar have been selected for financial support of Rs 2.67 crores under ‘Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure in Universities and Higher Educational Institutions (FIST) Program 2021’ by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Under the project, the Department of Physics will get Rs 1.65 crores for Level 1 while the Department of Mechanical Engineering under Level 2 will also get Rs 1.2 crores funds under FIST for building and improving infrastructure in the campus. The duration of support will be for a period of up to 5 years.
Director NIT Srinagar, Prof. (Dr.) Sehgal said the two departments have been selected for a financial grant under the FIST program calling it a proud movement for the institute.
“The funds are aimed at acquiring state-of-the-art equipment and setting up of laboratories for conducting internationally recognized research,” he said.
The director extended greetings to Prof. MF Wani from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Vijay Kumar from the Department of Physics for their hard work for the proposals. He said both the departments defended their proposals positively.
Prof, Sehgal said Prof. Wani and Dr. Kumar submitted the projects and they are also the principal investigators for the FIST Projects from their respective departments.
The director said that the amount will be utilized to strengthen the academic and physical infrastructure of departments for achieving excellence in teaching, training at the institute.
He said it is the second time that the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been selected for the FIST grant.
Institute’s Registrar, Prof. Syed Kaiser Bukhari congratulated both Department of Mechanical Engineering and Physics departments for being selected under the FIST grant under the DST program.
He said the FIST project will give a boost to ongoing research projects in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Physics and will also provide excellent placement opportunities for the students.
“Students will get the opportunity to execute real-life projects in the emerging areas of technology,” Prof. Bukhari said.
He also congratulated Prof. Wani and Dr. Kumar for their marvelous achievements in making the NIT Srinagar administration proud.
He said this grant support is recommended by DST, New Delhi-based on the excellent research and academic performance of the faculty members of these departments.
Prof. Bukhari said the grant will benefit the institute immensely with the up-gradation of infrastructure and facilities and will encourage initiating start-ups in this novel area.
In his message Prof. Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, Head MED congratulated the whole institute including the faculty members and said the grant will boost academics and research.
He also said that such grants are very important to push the institute’s development to the next level and added that NIT Srinagar has been taking a lead role in this regard.
Dr. M A Shah, Head Physics, congratulated all department stakeholders and stated that the hard work and dedication put forth by faculty members of the Department of Physics faculty members is noteworthy.
He said the Physics department is trying its best for the development of the department and institute and also contributing significantly to teaching and research.
The FIST Project, started by DST in 2000, provides funding to higher education institutions in order to build a strong Science and Technology infrastructure in the country.