Vadodara: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sanctioned funds worth more than Rs one crore to the Department of Botany of M S University’s Faculty of Science.
The approval is for continuation/upgradation of the programme at the level of DRS I to DRS-II (Departmental Research Support-II) for research and teaching under Special Assistance Programme (SAP) for a period of five years starting from April 1, this year.
The SAP scheme was initiated in 1963 by UGC keeping in view the recommendations of the Education Commission to facilitate the selected number of university departments having some potential in research and teaching.
The programme is intended to encourage the pursuit of excellence and teamwork in advanced teaching and research to accelerate the realization of international standards in specific fields.
The Department of Special Assistance (DSA) and the Departmental Research Support (DRS) programmes were started by UGC in the departments during 1972 and 1977 respectively to create feeder departments for CAS.
The SAP scheme is implemented at three levels including the Centre of Advanced Study, DSA and DRS.
The financial assistance approved for implementing the present phase at the level of DRS-II at MSU’s botany department is on the basis of recommendations of the review committee that UGC had constituted.
UGC has recommended professor G Sandhya Kiran and professor N S R Krishnayya as its coordinator and deputy coordination respectively.
The grants including non-recurring grant for equipment worth Rs 80 lakh and recurring grant worth Rs 17 lakh plus one project fellow salary at actual cost for period of five years.