Lok Sabha Question No. 5456 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-28
Subject: Research to Boost Indigenous Technology
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RAM KUMAR SHARMA KUSHWAHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5456 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28/3/2018

## RESEARCH TO BOOST INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY

## †5456.  SHRI RAM KUMAR SHARMA:

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

(a) whether there is a need to expedite the research work in the country to give a boost to the economy by making foreign trade profitable; (b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto; (c) whether India has ignored development of its original technology and has adopted foreign technology; (d) if so, whether the foreign technology is capital based while the indigenous technology is labour based which is necessary for the country like ours which has a large population; (e) if so, whether the Government has formulated any scheme to develop indigenous technology and to improve it; and (f) if so, the details in this regard?

## 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. c­ÉÇ ´ÉvÉÇxÉ)

- (a)  & (b):    The  Ministry  of  Science  and technology has been  strengthening the  knowledge base, expediting research work in the country needed for the socio-economic development through its various programmes and schemes. The people  and  nation-centric  thrust  to  science,  technology  and  societal  pursuits  remains  the  prime  focus  of  all  the Departments  under  the  Ministry.  The  Ministry  through  its  constituent  Departments  has  developed  innovative technologies  in  some  economically  important  sectors  such  as:  drugs  and  pharmaceuticals;  food  &  food  processing; water;  innovative  farm  machinery;  housing  &  construction;  infrastructure  engineering  including  roads;  glass  & ceramics;  agrochemicals;  aromatic  &  medicinal  plants;  leather;  petroleum  &  petrochemicals;  mining,  minerals  &

metals which are significantly benefitting the common people as well as Indian industry. (c) & (d):   The Government has laid down many policies and announced schemes from time to time that encourage the fruit of indigenous research reaching public/society at large and getting successfully commercialized. The Ministry is actively participating in schemes like Make in India, Start-up India, Stand-up India and Digital India etc which are aimed at taking fruits of indigenous research towards fulfilling defined economic & social aims. Science  for  Equity,  Empowerment  &  Development  (SEED)  Division,  DST  through  its  programmes/schemes provide opportunities to motivated scientists, technologists and field level/based S&T organizations to take up actionoriented  and  location-specific  demonstration  projects  aiming  at  socio-economic  development  of  primarily  the  rural population. This is realized through adoption/adaptation of indigenous/improved technologies to enhance quality-of-life through better livelihood opportunities and income generation primarily in rural settings and/or for underprivileged communities. (e) & (f):  The Department of Science and Technology is taking initiatives in the thematic areas of energy and water for research,  technology  and  solutions.  Two  specific  schemes  Water  Technology  Initiative  and  Clean  Energy  Research Initiative  have  been  formulated  to  develop  indigenous  research  based  technologies  and  also  leverage  international collaboration to further improve upon developed technologies. Also under the Technology Development Programmes of DST, nearly 100 projects are supported every year to develop the technologies in  the  area of  Advanced Manufacturing, Waste Management, and Devices for Agriculture, Textile, Analytical and Biomedical Applications. Technology Development Board under DST, provides equity capital, soft  loan, grant  or  any other  financial assistance  to  industrial  concerns  and  other  agencies  primarily  for  'Development  &Commercialization  of  indigenous technologies'.  Since  inception,  TDB  has  emerged  as  a  unique  techno-financial  institution  that  finances  technologybased projects encouraging new ideas from large,  medium, small and  micro-enterprises even at the risk of failures. TDB  has  funded  more  than  400  projects  in  all  sectors  pan  India  with  about  300  successfully  commercializing  the indigenous technologies. Patent  Acquisition  and  Collaborative  Research  &  Technology  Development  (PACE)  scheme under  DSIR, focuses on development and demonstration of innovative technologies traversing the journey from proof-of-concept or laboratory stage to pilot stage, ready to be launched for commercialization by industries and institutions, either stand alone or in collaboration.

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