(a) whether the Government had decided to establish a National Centre for Molecular Materials (NCMM) at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the present status of the said decision;
(c) the reasons for delay in the implementation of the project and the present Government''s stand on the proposal; and
(d) whether the NCMM is likely to be set up in a time bound manner and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
(SHRI Y.S. CHOWDARY)
(a) to (d): Yes, Madam. The Government has decided to establish a National Centre for Molecular Materials Research (NCMMR) at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala as an autonomous institution under the Department of Science & Technology with a vision to become an internationally recognised centre of excellence in the design and development of novel functional molecular materials, with a capacity to integrate the novel materials into devices and seed the development of high technology industry. The Government has taken steps to establish this new institution. The Memorandum of Association and Rules & Regulations have been framed and NCMMR has been registered as a Society under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act at Thiruvananthapuram. The responsibility of extending administrative support and carrying out financial due-diligence has been assigned to Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, an autonomous institution under the Department of Science & Technology, as an interim arrangement. The Government is pursuing the establishment of NCMMR in right earnest so that the objectives for creation of this centre of excellence can be achieved.
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