When PhD student Shivani Tandel wanted to verify the results of the samples she tested in her lab in Uka Tarsadia University in Surat, Gujarat, her professor directed her to register in the I-STEM portal.
She found an NMR microscopy lab in Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
The 5th year DST inspired PhD senior research fellow tested 16 samples at BU, spending ₹500 each time. “Except for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance microscopy we have all the instruments in our university. I have many samples and whenever I got perfect analysis from our university then just for confirmation, I sent them to Bharathiar University,” she said, adding that she paid for the tests from the fellowship contingency fund.
The I-STEM portal (Indian Science, Technology and Engineering facilities Map), inaugurated in January 2020 has 27,339 active users including researchers, industries and start-ups. As many as 2,347 research institutions are registered. Harshita D H, a Ph D student in Physics department in Bengaluru University, sent her samples to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). She had applied for a project on the portal and submitted a research proposal.
She is “growing crystals” in the university lab. “For synthesis of the compound, NMR, mass confirmation, proton confirmation, I sent it to the IISc lab. It gave me the accurate result,” said the second year student, whose professor provided her the link to the portal.
Helps to maintain records
M. Balasubramaniam, associate professor in Physics department of Bharathiar University, which has registered its equipment on the portal said it helped to maintain an online booking record that is free of cost and easy to monitor. “Just by visiting the portal one can explore the various facilities. It is very beneficial to the student community,” he said. A unified portal facilitated several actions including registration of start-ups and patents. “Earlier each institution had its own way of offering facilities,” he explained.
The aim is to connect researchers and laboratories, said Harilal Bhaskar, national coordinator and COO of I-STEM. Its other objectives are to develop a database of technologies and skill development programmes offered across the country. “I-STEM is not just a facilitator but also a catalyst for young researchers and innovators” and enables them to access advanced research infrastructure. But awareness is low, he rued.
T.N. has highest registration
Of the 2,347 educational institutions registered in the country, 395 are from Tamil Nadu; 182 from Karnataka; and 101 from Kerala. Andhra Pradesh with 88 institutions and Telangana with 64 registrations follow next.
In 2024, the aim is to bring in 10,000 institutions and connect a million researchers besides start-ups and industries so that they may access cutting-edge labs, Mr. Harilal said. “Our vision is that 1 million researchers should be able to access it. We don’t pay the individual but the institute after fair usage of the equipment. That is the model of 2024,” he explained.
The portal will enable all states and organisations to list their training programmes. It is also developing a digital catalogue with details of prototypes or technologies developed by institutions. This would help industries or investors to connect with the inventors to commercialise the patent, product or prototype.
Mr. Harilal said surveys had shown that companies had invested in foreign technology as they were not aware of indigenous products.
Samvesha launch
On January 16, the I-STEM, which is supported by the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor (OPSA) will launch Samvesha at the IISc, Bengaluru, to reach out to all districts across the country, to benefit rural researchers too.
