Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research instruments lie in open
Thiruvananthapuram: Scientific instruments worth crores of rupees are lying around unused at the transit campus of IISER-Thiruvananthapuram. Big packages can be seen scattered in the reception area of the computer science block of the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, from where IISER functions now.
It is believed that many of these instruments were delivered years ago, but have not been installed yet. The precision and functioning of these high-value instruments could be affected if these are not used for a long time. Among the instruments which have not been installed is a Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscope which costs close to Rs 8 crore.
The institute on July 23, 2012, invited an Expression of Interest for a 120 kV Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscope (Cryo-TEM) for biological and organic sample investigations. It is unlikely that it took four years for the microscope to be delivered.
Recently, when a team at the institute led by school of biology head Tapas Manna needed a transmission electron microscope (TEM) for their study on chromosome regulation, they had to approach IIT-Delhi. There they had to collaborate with IIT-Delhi faculty Manidipa Banerjee, a TEM expert.
IISER, established to encourage research in basic sciences, has to rely on other institutes for TEMs and NMR Spectrometer. But the institute had, in July 2012, invited EOI for a state-of-the-art 700 MHz high-resolution NMR Spectrometer and a 300 kV Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) for inorganic materials. The same document invites EOIs for X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) system. None of these have been installed at the institute, and cost crores of rupees.
When asked about this, the institute's Registrar M Radhakrishnan told DC that they were waiting for experts to install the equipment. "Sometimes suppliers come all the way from Germany as these are sophisticated equipment," he said. He admitted that since the equipment took at least 1.5-2 years time to get delivered, the institute needed to plan in advance.
About Tapas Manna approaching IIT-Delhi, the registrar said that TEMs varied with areas of research. "So I am not sure if the TEM we have here can be used for Dr Tapas’s study. Moreover, the Government policy says that the equipment should be shared among institutes as all equipment should not be purchased by all institutes," he said.
