(a) whether Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited(ONGC) has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with Pan IIT to enhance exploration of hydrocarbons and alternate sources of energy in the country; and
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the modalities of execution of this MoC?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a) and (b): Yes Madam.Oil and natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Pan-IIT has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) on 19th January, 2015 at New Delhi to work towards a collective R&D Programme for developing indigenous technologies to enhance exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons and alternate sources of energy. Pan IIT is a consortium of seven premier Indian Institutes of Technology, namely, IIT-Kharagpur, IIT- Kanpur, IIT-Madras, IIT-Mumbai, IIT-Delhi, IIT-Guwahati and IIT-Roorkee. This is a long-term initiative for sustained research, development and capacity building.
Under the MoC, ONGCs R&D Institutes and the IITs shall jointly undertake advanced research and development projects for the Exploration and Production (E&P) sector of the country in general and oilfield specific activities of ONGC in particular. The MoC also envisages promoting internships, visiting and adjunct faculty programmes, research oriented career programmes through an ONGC Scholar Programme. Within the ambit of this collaboration, ONGC will make its laboratories available to the students and research scholars of IITs. Also, ONGC geoscientists and engineers will have the opportunity of working with IITs.