Cluster Innovation Centre

Cluster Innovation Centre
संकुल नवप्रवर्तन केंद्र
Motto	Evolving Senses, Dissolving Boundaries^[1]
Type	Public
Established	2011
Founder	Prof. Dinesh Singh
Location	Delhi, India 28°35′3.65″N 77°9′46.62″E / 28.5843472°N 77.1629500°E / 28.5843472; 77.1629500Coordinates: 28°35′3.65″N 77°9′46.62″E / 28.5843472°N 77.1629500°E / 28.5843472; 77.1629500
Campus	Delhi University, North Campus
Affiliations	UGC, NAAC, AIU
Website	cic.du.ac.in

Front view of Cluster Innovation Centre

The Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) [हिंदी: संकुल नवप्रवर्तन केंद्र] is a Government of India funded institute established under the aegis of the University of Delhi. It had been founded in 2011 and introduced Innovation as a credit based course for the first time in India.

Introduction

The Cluster Innovation Centre is an institution of University of Delhi. It provides a platform for the University and its partners to forge linkages between various stakeholders from industry and academia, initiate and assist innovation activities and act as a catalyst and facilitator. With a team management structure, this centre will aid the cluster and its ecosystem in connecting with each other, provide guidance to various stakeholders on all aspects of the innovation process including training and support, organize initiatives to promote innovations, channel various incentives that benefit the cluster and act as an incubating body managing the growth of innovation in the ecosystem. It will therefore act as a hub for Innovation activities, facilitating and guiding development of ideas into innovative applications that can be marketed successfully.^[2]

Rationale

With the launch of innovative schemes by MHRD,^[3] the University felt that innovation programmes be launched which should enhance creative potential of students, have innovative curriculum, are more project oriented and tailored to the need of society and industry. Such programmes should be enabling for students to relate themselves to the real world problems in all spheres and look for innovative solution for the problems. University should work closely with villages or slums and provide and focus on solving local real world problems.

Objectives

University of Delhi has set up Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) with the objective of fostering an ecosystem of innovation and connecting research with application for the benefit of society. The CIC aims to support application oriented research to solve real world problems by developing ideas into innovative applications that can be commercialized successfully. The CIC will focus on developing affordable innovations that reach a large number of people and at the same time are commercially viable to be sustainable and relevant. The main objectives of the Cluster Innovation Centre are:

Encourage an environment of innovation in the system
Develop innovative degree programs.
Educate and sensitize students, teachers by launching schemes on innovation programmes in colleges
Select ideas with potential by conducting training/orientation programmes/modules on innovation and researches
Develop ideas into innovative applications
Facilitate collaborations and partnerships with industry, academia and other stakeholders
Commercialize innovations and take them to the end users
Develop meaningful linkage with various segments of society.

Academic Program

Programs offered by Cluster Innovation Centre (from academic session of 2013) are as follows:

A four-year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) Degree in Information Technology and Mathematical Innovations but this course is not approved by AICTE as it is directly run by the university.^[4] There is an All India Entrance Exam for a total of 40 seats in this program.The program includes training in core Mathematics, IT, Science, Computer Science, disciplines and additional courses on Innovation and technology management,electronics, entrepreneurship, business, communications,robotics, etc., but given that ‘Innovation’ is a fundamentally application oriented domain, there should be a strong focus on problem solving and project work and training from real world problems. Within a broad framework students should have the flexibility to undertake innovative problem solving projects in collaboration with industry and other stakeholders to earn their credits.
A three-year Bachelor of Arts (B.A hons.) degree in Humanities and Social Sciences (Meta College).^[5] The distinctive aspects of the program is its emphasis on hands-on projects, virtual learning, internships and group based activities, rather than relying exclusively on class room learning. Inter and transdisciplinarity is encouraged for a holistic understanding of Humanities.
Master of Science (MS) degree in Mathematics Education (Meta University)^[6]

Ranking

University rankings
Business – India

References

DU launches CIC, Indian Express
DU launches CIC, Education Times
DU launches CIC,MSM News
Initiative of National Innovation Council
Office of the Advisor to Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations
Prime Minister's speech on CIC
CSIR Linkage
DRDO, Ministry of Defence and CIC MOU

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