Lok Sabha Question No. 685 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-19
Subject: Financial Allocation for Conducting Scientific Research
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: PARASURAMAN K.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.685 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19/07/2017

## FINANCIAL ALLOCATION FOR CONDUCTING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

## 685. SHRI K. PARASURAMAN:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó  Ùðüëðó be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  fiscal  allocation  made  by  the  Government  for  the  purpose  of conducting scientific research in the country for the last three years;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  introduce  scheme  for  encouraging universities to undertake new research studies; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (SHRI Y.S. CHOWDHARY)

òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó +ÉÉè® ÑðöÆãðó òãðìððÐð ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó

(gÉÉÒ ´ÉÉ<Ç. AºÉ. SÉÉèvÉ®ÉÒ)

- (a) The  details  offiscal  allocation  of  the  Ministry  of  Science  and  Technology  for  the purpose of conducting scientific research in the country during the last three years and FY 2017-18are given as under: -

|                                                | Funds Allocated (Rs. in cr)   | Funds Allocated (Rs. in cr)   | Funds Allocated (Rs. in cr)   | Funds Allocated (Rs. in cr)   |
|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Departments                                    | Plan 2014-15                  | Plan 2015-16                  | Plan 2016-17                  | 2017-18                       |
| Department of Science and Technology           | 2500.00                       | 3401.50                       | 3981.00                       | 4837.27                       |
| Department of Biotechnology                    | 1395.00                       | 1606.80                       | 1895.20                       | 2222.11                       |
| Department of Scientific & Industrial Research | 1600.00                       | 2192.50                       | 2297.18                       | 4446.00                       |
| Total Ministry of Science and Technology       | 5495.00                       | 7199.80                       | 8173.38                       | 11505.38                      |

Accordingly,  the  fiscal  allocation  of  the  Ministry  of  Science  and  Technology  for  the purpose of conducting scientific research in the country have gone up from Rs. 5495.0 cr in 2014-15 to Rs. 11505.38 cr. in 2017-18.

- (b)  &  (c):      Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST)  has  already  taken  up  several initiatives e.g.Fund  for  Improvement  of  S&T  Infrastructure  (FIST),  Promotion  of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE), Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF) and Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence  in  women  universities  (CURIE)  programmes  for  encouraging  universities  to

undertake  new  research  studies.  These  programmes  are  being  implemented  to  promote Science and Technology and research studies in the country.

The FIST Programme was launched in Financial Year 2000-01. The Programme is operated  at  three  levels  i.e.,  Level  -0,  Level-I  &  Level-II  for  six  (06)  Subject  Areas  viz., Life, Physical, Chemical, Engineering, Earth & Atmospheric, Mathematical Sciences in the Universities. Post Graduate Colleges having science departments are also supported under this programme. During the last 16 years, more than 2480 Departments (including 352 PG Colleges) have received FIST support at a total budget of ~Rs. 2379 crore.

In  appreciation  of  the  Research  &  Development  (R&D)  contributions  of  the performing  universities,  PURSE  Program  was  initiated  by  the  DST.PURSE  scheme provides  substantive  research  grant  to  universities  based  on  scientific  publications  in Science  Citation  Indexed  Journals  through  SCOPUS  Database.  PURSE  Scheme  has provided  a  triggering  mechanism  for  promoting  publication  oriented  research  in  the University sector deploying evidence based approaches. There has been significant increase in  R  &  D  output  in  44  PURSE  supported  Universities.    In  addition,  DST  has  initiated CURIE programme in 2009 to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure and to promote R&D activities in 6 women only universities.

Sophisticated analytical instruments are vital for research in many areas of science and technology. Research infrastructures in the different Universities have been augmented and modernized to carry out both basic and advanced research in contemporary areas of science and technology. The DST has set up 18 SAIFs in different parts of the country to provide the facilities of sophisticated analytical instruments to the researchers in general, and specially from the institutions that do not have such high end instrumentation  facilities,  to  enable  them  to  pursue  R&D  activities  and  keep  pace  with developments taking place globally.

Apart from the above, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of the Department  has  recently  launched  a  new  scheme  entitled  'VAJRA'  (Visiting  Advanced Joint  Research)  to  bring  strong  international  connect  to  the  R&D  ecosystem  of  the country; thereby encouraging universities and other academic and research institutions to undertake new research studies. The scheme offers adjunct /visiting faculty assignments to overseas  scientists,  faculty  members  and  R&D  professionals  including  Non-resident Indians (NRI) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to undertake high quality collaborative research in Public funded academic and research Institutions in the country.

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