Lok Sabha Question No. 1139 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-07
Subject: Launching of I-STEM
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Bhola Singh, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Sukanta Majumdar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

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

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No.1139

TO BE ANSWERED ON 7/2/2020

## Launching of I-STEM

1139. SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR: SHRI BHOLA SINGH: DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY: DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR: SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK: SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY वान और ौयोगक मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has launched 'Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM)', if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the 'One nation one research' web portal would provide link between researchers and resources to the scientists, if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether Annual Session of Indian Science Congress had recently been held at Bengaluru, if so, the details of deliberations and outcome thereof;
- (d) whether  participation  of  women  in  Science,  Technology,  Engineering  and  Mathematics (STEM) subjects is less;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and remedial measures taken thereon by the Government;
- (f) whether expenditure as percentage of GDP on science and technology is low compared to other countries; and
- (g) if  so, the steps being taken by the Government for development of science and technology in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE; MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

वाय और परवार कयाण मंी ; वान और ौयोगक मंी ; और पृ वी वान मंी

## डॉ. हष वधन

- (a) Yes Sir. The Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) portal was launched  by  the  Prime  Minister  of  India  during  the  107 th Indian  Science  Congress  in  January, 2020.   This  portal  is  designed  to  maintain  database  of  all  the  major  R&D  infrastructure  and instrument  facilities  established  through  public  funding  in  various  academic  and  R&D  institutions across the country. This portal has been established and managed by Nanoscience Centre of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
- (b) The portal has been developed with an objective to link researchers and resources by enabling access  and  sharing  of  R&D  infrastructure.  This  will  also  ensure  optimal  utilisation  of  these instruments by students, researchers, scientists and other enterprises.  I-STEM, with its database of infrastructure  facilities,  will  facilitate  industry-academia  collaboration  effectively.  This  will  be particularly helpful for small start-up companies with innovative ideas to carry out development and commercialization  of  new  products  based  on  advanced  technology.  This  will  also  help  domestic industry to avoid significant upfront expenditure on R&D to develop products.

(c) The  107 th Annual  Session  of  the  Indian  Science  Congress  (ISC)  was  held  at  University  of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru during 03 rd to 07 th January, 2020. As many as 14 Sectional meetings on subjects of Agriculture  and  Forestry Sciences, Animal,  Veterinary  and  Fishery  Sciences, Anthropological  and  Behavioural  Sciences  (including  Archaeology,  Psychology,  Education  and Military Sciences), Chemical Sciences, Earth System Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences,  Information  and  Communication  Science  &  Technology  (including  Computer  Sciences), Materials Science, Mathematical Sciences (including Statistics), Medical Sciences (including Physiology), New Biology (including Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), Physical Sciences and Plant Sciences, were held during the Congress. Recommendations  of  the  14  Sectional  meetings  of  107 th ISC,  as  an  outcome  of  the  Congress,  were circulated  to  28  Indian  Science  Congress  Association  (ISCA)  chapters  all  over  the  country  for sensitizing rural and student communities.

(d) & (e):  Yes Sir. The participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects is less. As per data available with DST, as on 1/4/2018, participation of women in Research  and  Development  (R&D)  sector  was  16.6%  of  manpower  engaged  in  R&D.  In  order  to increase  women  participation  in  STEM  research,  the  Ministry  has  initiated  several  women  centric programmes  under  umbrella  scheme  'Knowledge  Involvement  Research  Advancement  through Nurturing (KIRAN)'. One of the programmes, 'Women  Scientist Scheme' provides career opportunities to unemployed women scientists and technologists, especially those who had a break in career.  In  2016-17,  'Mobility'  component  has  been  introduced  under  KIRAN  to  address  relocation issue of working Women Scientists. In 2017-18, a new program 'Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEM to provide opportunities to Indian Women Scientists, Engineers & Technologists to undertake International collaborative research in premier institutions in USA for duration of 3-6 months, has been started. Further, women scientists & technologists are also encouraged to avail capacity building programs related with research & development, entrepreneurship, managerial skills and leadership under 'National Program for Training of Women Scientists & Technologists working in Government Sector' of DST. Additionally, support is also provided through 'Consolidation of University Research through Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE)' Programme to improve the R&D infrastructure in order to enhance women's participation in S&T domain. During 2019-20, DST has started Phase-I of new scheme 'Vigyan Jyoti' for girl students of Class 9 to 12 in order to increase the number  of  women  in  STEM  education.  This  will  further  improve  the  participation  of  women  in scientific research and development.

(f) As per latest available statistics, India spends 0.7% of its GDP on Research & Development as compared  to  China  (2.1%),  Korea  (4.6%),  Japan  (3.2%),  Germany  (3.0%),  USA  (2.8%),  France (2.2%), UK (1.7%), South Africa (0.8%), etc.

(g) Government has been constantly engaged in promotion and growth of scientific research in the country  through  various  measures  such  as  successive  increase  in  plan  allocation  for  scientific departments, setting up of new institutions for science education and research, creation of Centres of Excellence and Facilities in emerging and frontline areas of S&T in academic and national institutions, supporting  Mega  Facilities  for  basic  research,  launching  of  new  fellowships,  substantial  grant  to potential  scientists  through  extramural  research  funding,  scaled  up  funding  in  new  areas  such  as Clean  Energy  and  Water  including  Energy  Efficiency,  Clean  Coal  Technology,  Smart  Grids, Methanol, Desalination, Genome Engineering Technology, National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), National  Mission  on Interdisciplinary  Cyber  Physical  System  (ICPS),  promotion  of  innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up grant for young scientists, Funds for Improvement  of  S&T Infrastructure (FIST), encouraging public-private partnerships, fiscal incentives and support measures for enhancing participation of industry in R&D etc.

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