Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Science City Nears Completion

Chirag Gupta

Patna: The construction of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Science City in Saidpur, Patna, is nearing completion, with 80% of the civil work finished, according to the Minister of Science, Technology, and Technical Education, Sumit Kumar Singh. Aimed at sparking interest in science among students and showcasing the practical applications of scientific principles in everyday life, the project is expected to be completed soon. Work on the exhibits is also in progress.

During a press conference organized by the Department of Science, Technology, and Technical Education, Singh provided updates on several key initiatives of the department. He noted that under the state’s Saat Nischay Program-1, aimed at enhancing youth opportunities, 38 government engineering colleges and 45 government polytechnic institutes are now operational across all districts. The only exception is the Government Polytechnic in Barh, which is still under construction and currently operates from the Government Polytechnic Patna campus.

For the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25, substantial funds have been approved to improve infrastructure in these institutions. Rs. 171.90 crore and Rs. 105.94 crore have been allocated for the engineering colleges, while Rs. 81.49 crore and Rs. 103.43 crore have been sanctioned for the polytechnic institutes. These funds will be used to enhance laboratory facilities, workshops, libraries, and smart classrooms to ensure quality technical education.

In addition, Rs. 47.15 crore has been approved over the two fiscal years to provide high-speed internet (500Mbps and 300Mbps) and Wi-Fi connectivity in all government engineering colleges and polytechnic institutes. The minister also highlighted the skill development programs for teachers, with 300 faculty members receiving advanced training in areas like IoT and mobile/web development in collaboration with IIT Roorkee. The department has allocated Rs. 4.94 crore for this purpose in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Efforts are also being made to improve residential facilities for students and staff. Over the last two years, Rs. 221.66 crore has been approved for constructing additional accommodation and activity buildings at institutions in Bakhtiyarpur, Vaishali, Supaul, and Samastipur. These additions aim to make these institutions fully residential, enhancing the overall student experience.

The minister also emphasized that Patna Planetarium, which was modernized to ignite public interest in astronomy, is fully operational, and new facilities such as a Planetarium-cum-Science Museum in Darbhanga and a Sub-Regional Science Center in Gaya have been built. Additionally, Bihar Engineering University is being established to strengthen engineering education, with a Rs. 66.92 crore budget for the construction of its buildings in Mithapur, Patna.

Furthermore, a “Center of Excellence” for emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, AI, IoT, robotics, and drone technology is being operated in collaboration with IIT Patna. The first phase of this initiative costs Rs. 97 crore, and in the second phase, sectors like transformer manufacturing and optical fiber will be included at an additional cost of Rs. 122.86 crore.

To ensure quality education and job readiness, 1458 teachers have been appointed in engineering colleges and 727 in polytechnic institutes over the past two years. Thanks to the state government’s 35% horizontal reservation for women, 398 female teachers have been hired in engineering colleges, and 261 in polytechnic institutes. A requisition has also been sent to fill vacancies for positions like instructors, lab assistants, and office staff.

In the current academic year, the number of available seats in government engineering colleges for B.Tech courses is 14,469, with 17,054 seats in polytechnic institutes and 612 in M.Tech programs. Over 12,280 B.Tech seats, 13,912 polytechnic seats, and 386 M.Tech seats have already been allocated through counseling. Significant employment opportunities have been created for students, with 8197 students from government engineering and polytechnic institutes being placed in top companies such as TCS, Tech Mahindra, Accenture, and Bajaj Auto during the 2023-24 session.

The event was attended by senior officials, including Pratima, Secretary of the Science, Technology, and Technical Education Department, and nodal officers from various schemes.