A Centre for Soft Computing Research is proposed to be set up at the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkatta. This is with financial assistance from the Department of Science and Technology. The International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics in France, has promised partial support in the form of travel grant to experts coming from abroad to visit the Kolkatta Centre.
The Centre being established by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation will undertake basic research in soft computing, pattern recognition, image processing, machine intelligence and in other related areas. It will also take up demonstration applications in focussed areas like web-mining, bio-informatics and image analysis.
The other main aim of the Centre is to take up development of manpower by imparting training to researchers and students from industry and academia including the research and development laboratories. Dissemination of teaching and training material for distance education, using multi-media facilities also form part of the initiative for the development of manpower in the area. The Centre will also offer regular short-term advanced courses in upcoming research areas and serve as a forum for exchange of ideas and establish linkages with scientists of leading institutions and industry involved in similar work. It will also offer fellow-ships to faculty and scholars from less endowed institutions.
The research output of the Centre will help in establishing partnership with the industry for its benefit. Several industries in the country including the BHEL, TISCO, Tata Motors, CMC and ISRO have been using conventional methodologies in the areas of vision, pattern recognition, machine learning etc. The Soft Computing Technologies developed by the Centre will enhance their product quality and process efficiency to acquire better competitiveness and significantly contribute to industrial development. Industries and laboratories have already been approaching the Indian Statistical Institute for getting expertise in various areas of soft computing.
(Release ID :6025)