Dead end to BU-ISRO deal?

BANGALORE: Three years after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangalore University (BU) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the setting up of Sir M Visvesvaraya ISRO Research Chair, it is now learned that there has been a fallout of sorts. Express contacted BU Vice-Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev to learn the status of the MoU. He said that the funds released by ISRO were not sufficient to carry the project forward. “We have received  Rs 5 lakh from ISRO. This amount is not enough to even get two faculty members. I have requested for more funds. ISRO is yet to get back to us,” he said. The 5-year MoU signed in July 2009 proposed the establishment and management of Sir M Visvesvaraya ISRO Research Chair in BU open to outstanding scientists, engineers and academicians who have excellent track record and a good standing in research and development activities - towards guiding, promoting and undertaking high quality research in any discipline(s) of space science, technology and applications to build specialised  knowledge base amongst students, research scholars in academia in niche  areas of space.The Edusat programme launched by ISRO, with BU and Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) as stakeholders, is also in an impasse. Prabhu Dev had offered to provide land and facilities within the Jnana Bharathi campus to shift the state’s Edusat hub. “I had made the offer. As VTU was not very happy with the fact that BU was providing all the facilities, it did not work out,” he said. VTU V-C Dr H Maheshappa said that he was not ready to shift the Edusat studio, which is currently housed in the DSERT campus. “It was given to VTU by ISRO. The question of shifting the site does not arise. I do not know about BU, but as far as VTU is concerned, there will be no shifting of the hub,” he said.