MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
(SHRI Y.S. CHOWDHARY)

(a) Yes, Madam. 

(b) to (d): National Centre for Molecular Materials Research (NCMMR) has been envisaged as a centre of excellence in design and development of novel functional molecular materials and their subsequent integration into devices. Several initial steps were taken, for example registration of NCMMR as a Society and start of the process of selection of the first Director. In the meantime, however, Research and Development (R&D) activities in Molecular Materials have also considerably grown in a number of Central Government institutions – the Indian Institute of Science, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research and the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences in Bengaluru, the Indian Association of the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum and many Indian Institutes of Technology, just to name a few. Review of all autonomous institutions under administrative control of the Central Government is underway with a view to consolidate their Research and Development (R&D) activities. Starting of a new institution in the area of molecular materials in the current scenario is dependent on the outcome of the review.

(e) The approved budget was Rs. 76.70 crores for the initial five years.