BHU sets up committee to implement Startup policy

VARANASI: Banaras Hindu University has formed a 21-member committee under vice-chancellor Prof Rakesh Bhatnagar to implement the new national innovation and Startup policy-2019 introduced by ministry of education, at the university level.
The committee’s convenor Dr Manish Arora of the department of applied arts, said that the committee comprises academicians as well as students and alumni, entrepreneurs and experts from different fields.
During its first brain storming session held online on Saturday evening, the committee’s vice-chairman Prof S Srikrishna explained that the ministry has come up with national innovation and startup policy in higher education institutions under the new education policy to encourage innovation, startups and promote entrepreneurial approach at higher education institutions across the country for better ranking in the global innovation index.
Arora highlighted that the Design Innovation Centre and Atal Incubation Centre were established in 2015 and 2018, respectively, to promote innovation at the university. The government had initially come out with a policy related to innovation and startup in 2016 while the new policy is an upgraded form of the same, he said adding that since 2015 innovation in the country has registered a big boost as India’s ranking has jumped from 81st to 52nd in the global innovation rankings in 2019.
BHU, which was ranked 11th, jumped to 25th position under public funded institutions category of the country in the recently released Atal Innovation Rankings, he said adding that the university is making all efforts to make it to the top-5 position.
In her address, Dr Poonam Sinha, director of National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Scale Industries Development, said that through this new policy the government wants to provide support and facilities to startups and make them partners in the country’s progress.