Lok Sabha Question No. 4348 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-21
Subject: Quality Research By Scientist
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4348 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21/3/2018

## QUALITY RESEARCH BY SCIENTIST

4348. SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ +ÉÉè® |ÉÉètÉÉäÉÊMÉBÉEÉÒ àÉÆjÉÉÒ be pleased to state:

- (a) the schemes/programmes being implemented by the Government to curb attrition rate of scientists and to encourage them to do quality research in the country;
- (b) the extent to which the said schemes/programmes have achieved the desired results in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the funds provided by the Government under the said schemes/ programmes during each of the last three years and the current year, scheme/ programme-wise;
- (d) the number of complaints of irregularities in implementation of the said schemes/programmes that have come to the notice of the Government during the said period, scheme/programme-wise along with the action taken thereon;
- (e) the number of scientists who left their job across the country during the said period, State/UT-wise; and
- (f) the steps taken/being taken by the Government for welfare of the scientists and to retain them in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES AND MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ +ÉÉè® |ÉÉètÉÉäÉÊMÉBÉEÉÒ àÉÆjÉÉÒ, {Éßl´ÉÉÒ ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ àÉÆjÉÉÒ +ÉÉè® {ÉªÉÉÇ´É®hÉ, ´ÉxÉ A´ÉÆ VÉãÉ´ÉÉªÉÖ {ÉÉÊ®´ÉiÉÇxÉ àÉÆjÉÉÒ

(bÉ. c-ÉÇ ´ÉvÉÇxÉ)

- (a) Government has taken several measures to curb attrition of scientists and to encourage them to do quality research in the country. The extramural funding schemes of Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Fellowship schemes of DST, DBT and Council Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have been designed to encourage individual scientists to do quality research. Schemes / Programmes such as Fund for improvement of S&T infrastructures in universities and higher educational  institutions  (FIST)  to  build  research  infrastructure  for  enhancing  research  capabilities,  Core Research Grant, Start-Up Grant for Young Scientists  in the form  of  Early  Career  Research  Award  and National Postdoctoral Fellowship, Research fellowships such as JC Bose and Swarnajayanti are targeted at practicing scientists to strengthen R&D in various sectors.
- (b) The said  schemes  are  aimed  to  elevate  R&D  status  of  the  country  and  have  achieved  the  desired results  in  a  major  way.  The  outcome  of  these  schemes  are  multipronged  and  have  multiplying  effects influencing  the  quality  of  manpower,  research  excellence  of  institutions  and  over  all  development  of  the country.  Though  it  is  difficult  to  indicate  year-wise  desired  results  to  the  extent  to  which  the  said schemes/programmes  have  achieved,  the  achievements  can  be  tracked  through  certain  S&T  indicators. India's position globally in scientific publications, as per Scopus database, has moved to 6 th with a growth

rate  of  13.9%  as  against  the  world  average  of  4.4%  during  2009-2013.  In  the  field  of  nanoscience  and technology, India is at 3 rd position. India's output of papers in Chemistry is third behind United States of America and China. A report of Springer Nature has indicated that India is ascending towards world-class science and our country is at 13 th position globally on an index of world-class scientific journals. As per the WIPO  report  2016,  India  is  ranked  at  10 th position  in  terms  of  resident  patent  filing  activity.  CSIR  is recognized to be among the international leaders in knowledge creation and it is ranked 12 th in  the world amongst the government institutions.

(c) The details of funds provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology under the said schemes/ programmes during each of the last three years and the current year, scheme/ programme-wise are given below:

|     |                                                                                                      | Allocation of funds (In Crores)                      | Allocation of funds (In Crores)                      | Allocation of funds (In Crores)                      | Allocation of funds (In Crores)                      |
|-----|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| SN  | Schemes/ Programmes                                                                                  | 2014-15 (Actuals)                                    | 2015-16 (Actuals)                                    | 2016-17 (Actuals)                                    | 2017-18 (BE)                                         |
| I   | DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST)                                                           | DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST)           | DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST)           | DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST)           | DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DST)           |
| (1) | (2)                                                                                                  | (3)                                                  | (4)                                                  | (5)                                                  | (6)                                                  |
| 1   | Basic And Applied Research (R&D Support)                                                             | 259.54                                               | 328.39                                               | 352.81                                               | 388                                                  |
| 2   | Autonomous Institutions And Professional Bodies                                                      | 701                                                  | 887.66                                               | 1097.28                                              | 1166                                                 |
| 3   | International Cooperation                                                                            | 78.68                                                | 84.33                                                | 104.65                                               | 166.54                                               |
| 4   | Technology Development Programme                                                                     | 130.59                                               | 130.17                                               | 193.61                                               | 235                                                  |
| 5   | Synergy Projects                                                                                     | 23.23                                                | 24.86                                                | 26                                                   | --                                                   |
| 6   | National Mission On Nanoscience And Nanotechnology                                                   | 64.29                                                | 83.6                                                 | 123.64                                               | 136                                                  |
| 7   | Science And Engineering Board                                                                        | 535                                                  | 660                                                  | 767                                                  | 800                                                  |
| 8   | Mega Facilities For Basic Research                                                                   | 61.93                                                | 68.91                                                | 79.86                                                | 130                                                  |
| 9   | Disha Programme For Women In Science                                                                 | 43.85                                                | 55.89                                                | 60.63                                                | 75                                                   |
| 10  | Supercomputing Facility And Capacity Building                                                        | --                                                   | 81.88                                                | 90                                                   | 125                                                  |
| 11  | Swarna Jayanti Scholarship                                                                           | 11.99                                                | 14.74                                                | 14.99                                                | 15                                                   |
| 12  | INSPIRE                                                                                              | 266                                                  | 405.9                                                | 419.5                                                | 480                                                  |
| II  | DEPARTMENT OF BIO-TECHNOLOGY (DBT)                                                                   | DEPARTMENT OF BIO-TECHNOLOGY (DBT)                   | DEPARTMENT OF BIO-TECHNOLOGY (DBT)                   | DEPARTMENT OF BIO-TECHNOLOGY (DBT)                   | DEPARTMENT OF BIO-TECHNOLOGY (DBT)                   |
| 1   | Biotechnology Research and Development, Human Resource Development, Research Resource and facilities | 789.77                                               | 903.33                                               | 1020.04                                              | 1252.42                                              |
| III | COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR)                                                 | COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) | COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) | COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) | COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) |
| 1   | National Human S&T Resource Development Programme                                                    | 296                                                  | 303                                                  | 300                                                  | 225                                                  |

(d) No complaints of irregularities in implementation of the said schemes/programmes have come to the notice of the Government during the said period.

(e) & (f):  Except isolated cases of scientists leaving their jobs for personal reasons, no significant attrition has  been  reported.  The  Flexible  Complementing  Scheme  /  Merit  based  promotion  scheme  positioned  in scientific  departments  and  the  implementation  of  the  VII  Pay  Commission  pay  scale  and  introduction  of Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS) in strategic Departments have attracted scientists to remain in the country and hence the Institutions are not experiencing any brain drain.  In addition to incentivization schemes  like  sharing  of  proceeds  with  scientists  from  contractual  R&D;  and  consultancy  and  premia  & royalty  received  from  the  transfer  of  technology,  the  Government  has  several  welfare  programmes  like housing  schemes,  health  schemes,  leave  travel  concession,  special  schemes  for  women  etc.  to  Central Government employees including scientists.

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