Media Lab Asia, the socio-economic project between the Indian government and Massachusetts Institute of Technology will be completely recast with the project becoming a fully government-aided research and development entity in the first phase.

"The agreement with MIT ended on March 31 so there will be no exclusivity in relationship," Shourie said adding the notices were issued to Media Lab Asia management.

Shourie said it was expected that a lot of private funding would come for the project, but nothing like this happened, adding he had spoken to Infosys' N R Narayanamurthy and others and all agreed that prospect of such funding was indeed bleak.

"We had given a note for the Cabinet and it decided that the existing changes I had done (making it a 100 per cent government aided R&D set-up) should be there for another two months," he said.

"I will discuss the matter with Murli Manohar Joshi, and then we will go back to the Cabinet," he added.