With rumours about the Central Government’s decision to stop funding the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) doing rounds for months, the Director of the Research Institute, K. Sankar, has refuted the same asserting that the research institute was never short of funds. SACON is functioning at the foothills of Anakatti on a 54.7 acre campus on the outskirts of Coimbatore.
Speaking to the Simplicity, Sankar said that the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which has been funding the Centre of Excellence ever since its inception in 1990, has never stopped supporting the projects undertaken by the institute.
“We have undertaken many projects so far and all of them have been funded by the ministry. This is how the institute functions. While projects are funded by the ministry, the staff are paid by the Centre. Had there been a lack of funding, we should have been working here without salary,” he added.
Sankar further said that the institute had taken up 15 projects recently, funding for which has been sanctioned by the Centre in time. “We have also sent some proposals for new projects and are expecting clearance from the ministry soon. New projects will also be taken up,” he told the Simplicity.
Rumours were rife that since March, the ministry had stopped funding research in its 10 centres for excellence across the country including SACON.
It was also said that the projects taken up by the institute had come to a halt because of lack of patronage from the ministry. The Centre has been trying to convert the institute into an Autonomous body from being a centre for excellence This is said to still under consideration and no decision has been taken yet.
The institute currently takes up research projects in M.Phil and PhD in Ornithology and Natural History. While a new Master's programme on the same was recently introduced, short term orientation courses are also being conducted by the institute.
Speaking to the Simplicity, Sankar said that the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which has been funding the Centre of Excellence ever since its inception in 1990, has never stopped supporting the projects undertaken by the institute.
“We have undertaken many projects so far and all of them have been funded by the ministry. This is how the institute functions. While projects are funded by the ministry, the staff are paid by the Centre. Had there been a lack of funding, we should have been working here without salary,” he added.
Sankar further said that the institute had taken up 15 projects recently, funding for which has been sanctioned by the Centre in time. “We have also sent some proposals for new projects and are expecting clearance from the ministry soon. New projects will also be taken up,” he told the Simplicity.
Rumours were rife that since March, the ministry had stopped funding research in its 10 centres for excellence across the country including SACON.
It was also said that the projects taken up by the institute had come to a halt because of lack of patronage from the ministry. The Centre has been trying to convert the institute into an Autonomous body from being a centre for excellence This is said to still under consideration and no decision has been taken yet.
The institute currently takes up research projects in M.Phil and PhD in Ornithology and Natural History. While a new Master's programme on the same was recently introduced, short term orientation courses are also being conducted by the institute.