The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is all set to start an Academy that will enable it award post-graduate and doctoral degrees from this year without spending a single paisa on capital expenditure.

The union cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today, approved the CSIR proposal to set up an Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR).

Currently, scientists pursuing research in any of the 37 laboratories of CSIR across the country have to register themselves at different universities.

Once the AcSIR is set up, it would enable registration of such researchers. In addition, the academy will also award post-graduate degrees.

"The Academy will primarily focus on research and imparting training in areas that are not ordinarily provided by the existing universities in India," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters while briefing on the Cabinet meeting.

A Bill to set up the Academy will be moved in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, she said.

The objective is to stem the growing shortage of skilled manpower in the science and technology industry and the dwindling numbers of PhDs per annum.

The academy is expected to produce 1,000 PhDs in science and technology and about 120 PhDs in engineering annually from the fifth year onwards.

With its headquarters in Noida, the institute is envisaged as a set-up that will network between the 37 CSIR laboratories, pool resources and faculty across these to create a national level academy with a strong research focus.

The CSIR has 4,500 scientists in diverse branches of science and engineering of which 2,500 could effectively be utilised for activities of the proposed academy.

"While utilising the existing resources and facilities of CSIR, the Academy will operate on a self sustaining mode. The recurring expenses will be Rs 19.10 crore in the 11th Plan and Rs 61.79 crore in the 12th Plan. There will be no requirement for capital expenditure," Soni said.

While India produced 8420 PhDs in science and engineering in 2006, China churned out 22,953 PhDs.

"It has been clearly felt that the present output of trained post-graduates and doctorates in science and engineering was far from adequate," a CSIR official said.