MoU signed to promote research at top institutions

New Delhi: An MoU was signed here on Thursday to promote research in premier technical institutions through IMPRINT, a pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative to develop a roadmap for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges in technology domains relevant to India.

The MoU aims at "promoting research in premier technical institutions through the IMPRINT programme by the 25 ministries/departments including ministry of human resource development, said an official release. Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, who presided over the function, said the research earlier was being done in a piecemeal manner.

She said that it was for the first time that all IITs have come together as a family and have undertaken the unique initiative of IMPRINT (Impacting Research Innovation and Technology) under which they would carry technological innovations beneficial to the common man.

IMPRINT, a flagship initiative of the government launched last year, aims to synergise with all the major initiatives like Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Namami Gange, Skill India, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and Swachch Bharat Mission. The release said it had been decided last year to sign a formal MoU among all participating ministries and departments for achieving coordination and synergy to avoid overlapping.

The pan-Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Science initiative provides the overarching vision that guides research into areas that are predominantly socially relevant.