The West Bengal Information Technology and Electronics department has decided to give fresh graduates ‘rent-free space’ for churning out ideas and designing innovative models at a proposed Centre of Innovation in Kolkata.
“The state IT and Electronics Department has prepared a blueprint that would soon be placed before the Cabinet for approval,” West Bengal IT Secretary Debashis Sen said while addressing the conference on ‘Innovation 2017: Next Big Ideas’, oragnised by the CII on November 25, 2017.
Sen expected that the innovation centre at the IT Park being built at Bantala in the city will be operational in the fiscal year 2018-19.
Saying that the screening process of the new innovators would be done by a team of experts, headed by the director of IIT-Kharagpur Partha Pratim Chakraborty, he said the interested graduates have to submit a short project report, merit and quality of which would determine selection.
“The state government’s vision is to improve the living standard of the common masses. The IT and Electronics Department will evaluate the performance of a student innovator every six months and decide whether he/she can continue,” he said.
“The IT and Electronics Department will also consider offering scholarships to bright students,” Sen said, adding, “The upcoming centre would involve top academics, scientists, industry members as mentors.”
