PATNA: The Population Research Centre (PRC) of Patna University (PU) is likely to have its new building at Ranighat soon. The PRC is also likely to introduce postgraduate course in demography and diploma course in population studies. The site for the construction of PRC building was approved by the Union ministry of health and family welfare when its deputy director-general D K Ojha visited PU recently and discussed the matter with vice-chancellor G K Chaudhary. A three-member PU team comprising PRC’s joint director Dilip Kumar, PU development officer P K Khan and PU engineer Sachin Dayal would visit Delhi on April 6 and make a PowerPoint presentation of the proposed building and courses before the economic advisor to the ministry. Dilip told the newspaper on Tuesday that the ministry has also asked PU to start advanced courses and training centres in Big Data Statistics and Biostatistics at the PRC. The proposed building will comprise a guesthouse and training centres besides the main research centre, he said. The ministry has already sanctioned more than Rs6 crore to PU in the first phase for the construction of the building. It would sanction more funds as per the needs of its expansion in the second phase, he said. PRC, formerly known as the Demographic Research Centre, was established in the Department of Statistics, Patna University, in September 1966 by the Union ministry of health and family welfare. This centre, one of the 18 such centres across the country, has produced more than 450 research reports on different aspects of population, health, nutrition etc. Several of them have been published in reputed professional journals from India and abroad. Apart from the works sponsored by the ministry, the Centre has completed many studies sponsored by USAID, UNFPA, UNICEF, Population Council (New York), Care India, etc, said Kumar.
COURTESY – TOI