Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) today signed a MoU with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu to utilize the IIT expertise for sustainable and futuristic development of Jammu City.The MoU was signed by and exchanged between Director, IIT Jammu, Prof Manoj Singh Gaur and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) JSCL, Avny Lavasa.According to a spokesperson of JSCL, the broader areas of where the professional guidance of IIT Jammu would be co-opted include, Urban Mobility, City Beautification and Development, Heritage & Tourism, e-Governance & IT interventions, Waste Management, Riverfront Development, ICT/ICCC integration, Electrical mobility, Energy-saving plans and any other domains of mutual interest as identified by JSCL.It has been also agreed in the MoU that JSCL will with the expert advice of IIT Jammu build a robust mechanism for support and services including research on Urban Planning and amenities including academics, consultancy and internship and fellowship for students.As per the MoU, IIT Jammu shall allocate staff and faculties as trainers for the studies identified by JSCL. The institute will facilitate identification of global best practices to be used by JSCL in the areas of data assimilation, research, citizen outreach programs and behavioural assessments.
IIT Jammu will share information and data and obtain support of other educational/research institutions/consultants/industries working on the subject in India or abroad for achieving the objectives outlined by JSCL. It will also provide access to the IIT Jammu library and other technical resources to the team members of JSCL or persons identified by JSCL in achieving the mutually agreed upon objectives.JSCL shall, on the other hand, provide support to IIT Jammu for relevant data collection, conduct of seminars, citizen outreach programs, etc. It will ensure participation by UT/Central Officials, public representatives, senior officials of the Jammu & Kashmir government, and other stakeholders in the programs to be organized by IIT Jammu.JSCL will also share any data or information available with different departments of Jammu and Kashmir Govt for desirable planning targets. It will provide internships for the students of IIT Jammu and mentorship to external students to work on the smart city and related projects and assist IIT Jammu with all field visits to carry out the tasks outlined in the MoU.It was also decided that a Joint Working Group (JWG) would be constituted to facilitate the initiation of projects under the MoU. It will have heads and faculty from relevant departments at IIT-Jammu and relevant members from JSCL at similar levels.The MoU shall remain in force initially for a period of two years from the date of signing and can be renewed further by way of mutual consent.