Research applications of GMRT, Pune increase by 50%

Ever since the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) operated by National Centre for Radio AstroPhysics – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Pune, started functioning from 2017, there has been significant increase in the number of researchers coming to GMRT for their project work.

According to the officials concerned, the number of applications per cycle has gone from 60-70 to 90-110. GMRT is located at Khodad in Junnar, at least 80 kilometres from Pune.

“The work of upgrading GMRT started in 2012 and was completed in 2017. In an academic year, we have two cycles . The first cycle starts from April 15 and the second starts from October 15. We get applications from across the globe to get a time slot for working on GMRT. Till 2017, we were getting 60-70 applications per cycle which then increased to 90-110 applications per cycle ,” professor Yashwant Gupta, director, NCRA.

Gupta said that out of the total applications, 50 per cent are from Indian students and the rest from international researchers.

NCRA has a six-member committee of scientists which evaluates every application they get. The committee consults with the experts and declare the total number of applications accepted for each cycle. Researchers can use 2,000 working hours of GMRT in a six months period.