By IANS,
New Delhi : The cabinet Thursday approved the conversion of Guwahati’s Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology (IASST) into an autonomous grant-in-aid institute of the government of India.
“The conversion has been done at the request of the Assam government, under which the institute has hitherto been functioning,” Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after a cabinet meeting presided over by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Mukherjee is standing in for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is recuperating from coronary bypass surgery.
The conversion “would meet the hopes and aspirations of the people of Assam and the northeastern region”, Chidambaram said.
“IASST would endeavour to spot local scientific talent and inspire them to attain national and global levels of competence.
“This would lead to the enrichment of the culture of scientific research and would have a significant impact on the development of the resources of Assam and the region as a whole,” Chidambaram said.