India, Sept. 11 -- LUCKNOW In a bid to become self-sufficient and sustain its high-end research infrastructure, Lucknow University (LU) has announced plans to open its state-of-the-art science laboratories to external educational and research institutions on a pay-per-use basis.

This will enable the university's labs get a recurring amount, which can help them become self-sufficient and ensure timely maintenance of their equipment, said vice-chancellor Prof JP Saini.

LU currently receives an annual government grant of Rs.34 crore-a figure that has remained stagnant for the past two decades. Meanwhile, the university's expenditure on salaries for teaching and non-teaching staff has ballooned to roughly Rs.225 crore annually, leaving no d...