Rail Budget: Prabhu proposes Malaviya Chair for railway technology at IIT (BHU)

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu today announced that the railways intends to set up an innovation council called “Kayakalp” for the purpose of business re-engineering and introducing a spirit of innovation in the public sector behemoth in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for innovation, technology development and manufacturing.

“GOI has conferred Bharat Ratna on Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. To mark the centenary celebrations of Banaras Hindu University, we propose to set up ‘Malaviya Chair’ for Railway Technology at IIT (BHU), Varanasi. This Chair will help in development of new materials to be used in all assets of Railways,” Prabhu said while reading out the Rail Budget for the next fiscal in Parliament.

Presenting the Railway Budget, the minister said that every dynamic and thriving organisation needs to innovate and re-invent its practices.

He announced that railways have decided to strengthen the RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organisation) into an organisation of excellence for applied research.

“RDSO would collaborate with institutions of repute. We will set up in 2015-16 four Railway Research Centers in universities for doing fundamental research,” Prabhu said.

The railway minister stressed on the need to invest in fundamental and applied research for seeking solutions to rail-specific issues. The railways intends to set up a technology portal to invite innovative technological solution, he said.

“A consortium of Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Science And Technology and Industries on an Investment Sharing Model is being set up as part of Technology Mission for Indian Railways to take up identified Railway projects for research,” Prabhu said.