SATHI Programme : Update
The Centre’s move to cancel a call for proposals under the Department of Science and Technology (DST)’s SATHI programme has sparked fears among higher education institutions
- Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes (SATHI) is an initiative by the Department of Science and Technology to boost access to research and testing facilities and address problems of accessibility, maintenance, redundancy, and duplication of expensive equipment in Institutions.
- It aims to set up a shared, professionally managed Science and Technology (S&T) infrastructure facility which can be readily accessible to academia, start-ups, manufacturing units, industries, and R&D labs.
- Such S&T infrastructure will be known as the Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institute (SATHI).
- These Centres will be equipped with major analytical instruments and advanced manufacturing facilities which are usually not available at Institutes / Organisations.
- It would encourage and ensure the establishment of a National Network of Laboratories and testing facilities tightly linked to global standards.
- SATHI facilities will be used for 80% of their available time by external users, e. outside of the host institutes and the remaining 20% of their available time by internal users of the host institute.
- The usage of the facility will be guided by the basic principle of maximum and effective utilization and accessibility for all.
- The facilities provided by the SATHI may be utilized by any user or organization upon payment of nominal charges.
- Proposals from well-established, internationally competitive S&T host institutes / R&D Centres / Organizations irrespective of their status as Government / NonGovernment, from State/ Central Universities, are invited through networking and a cluster approach.
