Kolkata: The city's prestigious Presidency University has been declared the first Cluster Innovation Centre in eastern India by the central government, an official said on Tuesday.

"Presidency has been declared the Cluster Innovation Centre, the first in eastern India. This is a development to be proud of," the varsity's vice-chancellor Malabika Sarkar said.

She further said that it would help the university in achieving a synergy of research, academics and industry.

The National Innovation Council has envisaged Cluster Innovation Centres (CIC) as focal points to promote innovation in and around the university system.

These innovation centres are expected to function as independent bodies inside the university and facilitate collaborations between various stakeholders to create new knowledge, products and processes.

At least 20 CICs are to be set up across the country.

Presidency University has its roots in the Hindu College - established in 1817 - the institution that cradled the 19th century Bengal Renaissance and was christened Presidency College in 1855. It was upgraded as a university last year.

The college's alumni include Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Satyajit Ray, Marxist leader Jyoti Basu and scientist Satyendranath Bose.

India's first president Rajendra Prasad and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also studied in the college. IANS