Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to immediately frame guidelines for procurement, transport, storage and disposal or all hazardous material, including chemicals and radioactive substances, used for research in universities.
Mr. Sibal took the decision at a meeting with UGC chairperson Sukhdeo Thorat here.
The guidelines will be circulated to all universities under the Ministry.
Death in Mayapuri
The directive follows the death of a scrap dealer and injuries to eight others at Mayapuri here after handling a radioactive substance.
Mr. Sibal will also write to all other research-oriented Ministries and institutions, seeking inputs for dealing with hazardous materials so as to lay down common guidelines for handling and disposal of hazardous substances. This would include biological, chemical and other materials used for cutting edge research like nanotechnology.
As of now, the UGC does not have any system in this regard and universities get radioactive material for their laboratories with the permission of regulating agencies.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has guidelines that are supposed to be followed by universities for procurement and handling of such materials.
The Human Resource Development Ministry is awaiting the report of a three-member enquiry committee set up by Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental to go into the entire issue of the disposal of the radioactive material, before taking any action.
