MHRD IPR Chair Series: Information Received from IIT, Delhi

Posted by Karan Tripathi at Feb 22, 2016 02:46 AM |
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This post provides a factual description about the operation of Ministry of Human Resource Development IPR Chair’s Intellectual Property Education, Research and Public Outreach (IPERPO) scheme in IIT Delhi.

The author has analysed all the data received under various heads such as income, grants from MHRD, planned and non planned expenditure, nature and frequency of programmes organised and the allocation of funds for the same. Throughout the course of observation and presentation of the analysed data, the author seeks to trace the presence of unjustified underutilisation of funds by the aforementioned university as provided by the MHRD during the period of 2003-2014. To collect the information for the given study, an RTI application was filed to the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi on 19/11/2014 by the Centre for Internet and Society. The reply to RTI application was received on 16/12/2014. These are the documents received by CIS from IIT Delhi:

  • For RTI Response click here <Response to Nov RTI >
  • For complete supporting documents click here <Response and Report >

Hereinafter, in order to receive any information about IIT Delhi’s RTI reply, kindly refer to the above mentioned links. Following are the queries mentioned in the RTI application along with their replies.

 

  • Reports on the implementation of the IPERPO scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the implementation of the MHRD IPR Chair funded under the scheme at IIT Delhi from 2003-2014
Reply: IIT Delhi has submitted all the documents in order to highlight the implementation of IPERPO scheme in the University for the period 1992-2011. Documents for the period 2012-2014 are not submitted by the University
  • Documents indicating the date on which such an IPR Chair was set up at your institution and a copy of the application made  by IIT Delhi to the MHRD for instituting such an IPR Chair and documents received by IIT Delhi from the MHRD approving the same
Reply: At IIT Delhi, the IPR Chair under the IPERPO scheme was appointed in October 2007. All the supporting documents are submitted by the University
  • Documents detailing the release of grants to the MHRD IPR Chairs under the IPERPO Scheme
Reply: All the documents regarding the release of grants are submitted except for the period 2012-2014. The University mentioned in its reply that it did not receive any grant for the financial year 2013-2014.
  • Documents relating to receipts of utilisation certificates and audited expenditure statements and matters related to all financial sanctions with regard to funds granted to the MHRD IPR Chair established under the IPERPO scheme at IIT Delhi
Reply: The University has provided utilisation certificates only for the period 2009-2011.
  • Documents regarding all matters pertaining to finance and budget related the MHRD IPR Chair under the IPERPOs scheme established at IIT Delhi
Reply: No documents are provided for information sought under this track. In its reply the University mentioned that the query put forward by CIS is not specific.
  • Details of the IPR Chair’s salary under the IPERPO Scheme indicating whether this amount is paid over and above the professional’s usual salary
Reply: The University has submitted all the documents pertaining to the aforementioned query.


Comparative Analysis between University Response and the guidelines of MHRD Scheme Document
The Scheme Document of MHRD (http://copyright.gov.in/Documents/scheme.pdf) is a comprehensive document which consists of guidelines regarding Intellectual Property Education, Research and Public Outreach. It talks about a list of objectives, purposes, conditions and eligibility criteria for a University to ensure in order to implement IPERPO in a truest sense. This document provides the procedural as well as qualifying conditions for an Institute to ensure or fulfil before applying for the MHRD grant. Some of these conditions include maintenance of utilization certificates, audit reports, expenditure statements and event information which would be open to access on demand by MDHR or

Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

A. Objectives
In order to fulfil the objectives mentioned in the scheme document, IIT Delhi undertook following activities:
a. Faculty Development Program on IPR
b. Two MBA projects on IPR were introduced
c. Certificate courses on IPR & IP Services
d. National Conferences on IPR
e. IPR Related Research Publications

B. Eligibility
IIT Delhi is recognized by the University Grants Commission. Therefore, it fulfils the eligibility criteria mentioned in the scheme document.


Financial Analysis
The University has provided financial documents such as utilisation certificates and statements of expenditure only for the period 2010-2011. No documents are submitted for the period 2007-2009 and 2012-2014. The first grant of Rs. 25,00,000 was given to the University in 2006.

A. Financial Year 2010 -2011
Utilization
In this financial year, a sum of Rs. 4,71,127 was sanctioned to the University out of which a sum of Rs. 1,45,000 was utilized and Rs. 3,26,127 was left as unspent balance.
Utilization
In this financial year, the maximum amount of money was spent on salaries of the Chair Professor and his staff. Almost equal amount of money was utilised for organising workshops and procuring stationary.

 

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