Chennai, Dec 1 (IANS) Chennai is poised to host a major new hub for scientific research, with the proposed Advanced Research Centre in Basic Sciences expected to come up at Taramani by the next academic year.

The upcoming institute will function as a full-fledged degree-granting research institution offering postgraduate programmes, PhD opportunities, and post-doctoral fellowships across the core science disciplines.

The Tamil Nadu government recently announced that two such high-end research centres would be established—one in Chennai and another in Coimbatore—as part of a larger push to rejuvenate basic science education and research in the state.

The initiative is being developed with academic support from premier national and international institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai, and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy.

A senior official from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education said discussions are underway to finalise collaborations with these institutions.

“The objective is to build centres that will focus purely on advanced basic science research. We are exploring tie-ups to ensure that the academic, research, and mentoring frameworks match global standards,” the official said.

The state has already identified 5 acres in Taramani for the Chennai centre and 20 acres near Bharathiar University for the Coimbatore facility. Both institutions will offer postgraduate courses in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biological sciences.

Admissions will be based on a detailed assessment of students’ aptitude for scientific research, the official added.

Students entering these programmes will receive fellowships for their PG, doctoral, and post-doctoral studies, similar to the models adopted by national research institutions.

At present, about 30 major science research institutions operate across India, with Kerala and Odisha among the states that have recently created similar centres.

Tamil Nadu now aims to join this ecosystem to expand high-quality research and generate new scientific jobs. The state government’s push comes amid concern over declining enrolment in basic science undergraduate courses such as BSc Physics and BSc Mathematics.

To address this, Tamil Nadu has mapped out an extensive plan to revive interest in science. This includes specialised training for college faculty to make science teaching more engaging, residential coaching camps for undergraduate science students to help them prepare for entrance exams to national research institutions, and a comprehensive upgrade of laboratory infrastructure across colleges.

By strengthening the research pipeline from undergraduate learning to advanced discovery, officials believe the new centres will help reposition Tamil Nadu as a leading hub for fundamental scientific research in the coming years.

–IANS

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