JAIPUR: Rajasthan University (RU) is facing a setback after the Centre's Department of Science and Technology (DST) has withdrawn the grant of Rs 37 crore to the university, reportedly due to RU's inability to spend the amount wisely.In 2014, Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) by Centre's Department of Science and Technology (DST) selected 15 Universities in the country and granted them Rs 37 crore each, for research purposes. The first instalment of Rs 6 crore was released at that time, the deadline for expending which is 2019. According to sources, as the university was not able to spend the amount of first instalment wisely, the remaining amount was stopped.However, university authority has denied the claim of the grant being stopped. Deepak Bhatnagar, the coordinator of PURSE in Jaipur, while talking to TOI said, "The grant is stopped temporarily due to some technical issues. From the first instalment, we have already spent Rs 4.55 crore and there is still one year to go for the deadline. We are working on our plans and money will be granted very soon." As per sources, few years back, Fund for Improvement of S&T infrastructure (FIST) - an initiative by Government of India in universities & higher educational institutions to rebuild the Science & Technology infrastructure in the country - granted some amount for research purposes to RU, but they have not utilised it properly. When asked, the university authority didn't answer the question about the utilisation of money under FIST.As the money granted is withdrawn, vice-chancellor of the university R K Kothari, has withdrawn five appointments of the technical staff hired for research by the University of Research Associate and JRF (NET) along with One scientific officer, five technical officers and one project assistant through contractual agency.

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