Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NR) 

Mangalore, Oct 13: The department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) opened its extension centre in the National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NITK) campus in Suratkal here. The sole motive in starting the centre is to encourage students with an innovative blend of mind and thereby ensure that ‘Ideas’ no longer will wither away, sources here informed.
 
NIT-K is in fact the state’s second such centre, after SSIT College in Tumkur, set-up with the intention to extend all kinds of support including financial aid to help students develop ideas and realize it as an important innovation tool.
 
Around 20 such centres are to be opened at different places under the 11th Finance Plan, by DSIR. Out of which around 14 have already received approval from the Centre. This centre is indeed a boon to students, with an inbuilt ability to innovate.
 
The procedure here is very simple. Students with new ideas in their mind can go about realizing them into innovations benefitting mankind. Those with a computerized design of the prototype and technical report may submit the same to STEP. A screening committee in DSIR would in turn submit it for approval with DSIR in New Delhi. 

The project report would be returned for corrections or for further improvisation, sources in STEP here informed.
 
The next step is as follows: once the report satisfies the panel, DSIR would release Rs 15 lac initially. If the student-inventor succeeded in developing and marketing the prototype of invention, they would receive a further assistance of Rs 45 lac.
 
For creating awareness about DSIR-STEP Centre, a workshop was held in NITK in September. DSIR advisor Dr A S Rao stressing on innovator-friendly initiatives proudly declared that innovations would raise the country’s technology prowess.