The MoU to focus on Research & Development, teaching and training in the area of development of highway infrastructure.

Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari has taken an initiative to develop indigenous and apt technologies to bring down the cost of construction and reduce the construction period of road/bridge/tunnel projects and to fulfil this objective the expertise available in the country with research institutes and academia is being harnessed.

In this direction, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on January 22, 2021, in New Delhi, for the continuation of MoRTH Professorial Chair focusing on research and development, teaching and training in the area of development of highway infrastructure. Giridhar Aramane, Secretary (MoRTH) presided over the MoU signing ceremony. The MOU was signed by Indresh Kumar Pandey, Director General (Road Development) & Special Secretary and Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Deputy Director and Professor of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Roorkee is among the foremost of institutes of national importance in higher technological education and in engineering, basic and applied research. Since its establishment, the Institute has played a vital role in providing the technical manpower and know-how to the country and in pursuit of research. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Government of India is responsible for development & maintenance of National Highways across the country. It has been agreed by both the organizations to continue the MoRTH Professorial Chair at IIT-Roorkee to provide leadership in one, or many, of the following areas:

• To act as an ambassador of the MoRTH for highway development in the country.
• To catalyse innovation, research and development in the highway sector in IIT-Roorkee and Indian academia.
• To facilitate or undertake highway studies in IIT-Roorkee and Indian academia on the environment and social impacts of highway development projects.
• To facilitate or undertake dissemination of technology upgrades in planning, design, construction and operation & maintenance for highway development through standards, guidelines, seminars, training and user manuals etc.
• To help find solutions to the practical problems of highway through scientific research by facilitating the partnership of MoRTH with IIT-Roorkee and Indian academia.
• To utilize and expand the Highway Engineering related resources in IITR and other educational institutions working on highways and all related aspects.
• Any other related activity.

This collaboration of MoRTH with IIT-Roorkee will strengthen R&D activities in the road sector and the Chair professor is expected to provide leadership in conducting and coordinating research, development and teaching in the area of development of highway infrastructure.

During MoU signing, the Secretary said, “The government supports the enhancement of quality research through partnerships and mentorship programmes. This MoU sets a new benchmark of Government-Academia partnership that can enhance learning and open up new opportunities for the development of faculty in IIT & Ministry’s technical officers and will be useful in internal capacity building so that we can take the benefits to society.”

The decision to formalize the partnership through this MoU, a key milestone for both MoRTH and IIT-Roorkee community in their long-term relationship, was made after extensive evaluation and identifying the core competencies and strong synergies between the two of them said, IK Pandey.

Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Deputy Director and Professor of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee said, “IIT Roorkee has been contributing towards Teaching, Research & Development in Highway Engineering in the country for a very long time. This MoU provides an opportunity for IIT Roorkee to work on contemporary challenges in the Highway sector and be a partner in the highway development in the country.”