Lok Sabha Question No. 2290 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-01
Subject: World Class Research Facilities
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: HEMAMALINI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2290 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.01.2018

## World Class Research Facilities

## †2290.  SHRIMATI HEMA MALINI:

## Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the focus of higher education provided in the country is to develop world class research facilities and to improve quality of teaching and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether any special fund has been created to develop world class research facilities and skill development of teacher and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  on  the  initiative  of  Prime  Minister,  an  online  teaching  portal  has  been launched; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  whether  the  said  portal  is  proving  to  be  successful  in achieving its objectives?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

- (a) & (b): Yes Madam. Government is focused on improving quality of education and research in Higher Education Institutions. Joint Research Programmes are being taken with countries like USA, UK, Israel, Norway and New Zealand, Special Scheme for Faculty Development to provide an opportunity to teachers to pursue academic/research  activities,  establishment  of  Inter  University  Centers  (IUCs)  that provide state-of-the art equipments and facilities. Government of India has introduced various schemes like:
-  Uchhatar  Avishkar  Yojana  (UAY):  The  objectives  of  UAY  scheme  are  to promote innovation in IITs addressing issues of manufacturing industries; to spur innovative  mindset;  to  co-ordinate  action  between  academia  &  industry  and  to strengthen labs & research facilities.
-  Impacting Research, Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT): The objectives of this  initiative  is  to  identify  areas  of  immediate  relevance  to  society  requiring innovation, direct scientific research into identified areas, ensure higher funding support for research into these areas and measure outcomes of the research effort with reference to impact on the standard of living in the rural/urban areas. Under the  scheme  the  proposals  are  to  be  funded  50%  by  MHRD  and  50%  by  other Ministries/ Departments/ Industries/ alumni/ other non-MHRD sources.
-  Setting up of Research Parks in IITs: Five new Research Parks at IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati,  IIT  Kanpur,  IIT  Hyderabad,  and  IISc  Bangalore  at  a  total  cost  of Rs.75.00 crore each have been approved by the Government.  Approval has also been  accorded  for  continuation  of  two  already  approved  Research  Parks  at  IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur at a cost of Rs.100 crore each. The Research Park at IIT Gandhinagar at a total cost of Rs.90 crore is being funded by the Department of Science & Technology
-  Quality Improvement Programme (QIP): To upgrade the expertise and capabilities of the faculty members of the degree and diploma level institutions in the country.
-  Margdarshan: Institutions of repute as a mentor within an existing facility to serve as the hub to guide and disperse knowledge to and between technical institutions to encourage best practices.
-  A Notification was also issued on 29.08.2017 and guidelines were published on 07.09.2017  for  providing  regulatory  structure  for  enabling  higher  educational institutions to become world class teaching and research institutions. The selected  public  universities/institutions  will  be  eligible  to  receive  Rs.  1000 crores  (Thousand  crore)  over  a  span  of  5  years  to  develop  into  a  world  class

university.

(c) & (d): SWAYAM, an indigenous On-line Education platform has been launched on 9 th July 2017. Through this platform courses in teachers training and other subjects both at the graduate and post-graduate level are offered. The platform is successfully achieving the objective. As on date, there are 837 courses and 16,83,828 people are registered in the SWAYAM platform. Access to SWAYAM is also being widened by linkage with DTH channel, SWAYAMPRABHA, dedicated to education.

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