Lok Sabha Question No. 1179 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-10
Subject: AISHE
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1179 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2020

## AISHE

## 1179. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.:

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

- a) whether according to the report of the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) only 2.5 per cent colleges in the country run Ph.D programmes;
- b) if  so,  whether  such  dismal  situation  is  due  to  extreme  restrictive  rules  by  the Government to run Ph.D courses;
- c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase  the volume of research studies;
- d) whether any incentive programme for colleges/ students have been formulated by the Government in this regard; and
- e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

- (a) to (e): As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2018-19, 2.5 per cent of colleges in  the  country  run  Ph.D  programmes.  The  procedure  for  admission  to M.Phil./Ph.D.  programmes  is  governed  by  University  Grants  Commission  (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil./Ph.D. Degrees) Regulations, 2016, which also  gives  Academic,  administrative  and  infrastructure  requirement  to  be  filled  by Colleges for getting recognition for offering M.Phil./Ph.D. programmes.

To  increase  the  volume  of  research  studies  and  provide  incentives  for  the  same, Government has introduced many schemes/programmes, including the following:

- (i) Prime Minister Research Fellowship (PMRF) Scheme for promotion of research in the frontier  areas  of  science  &  technology. It  seeks  to  incentivize  a  maximum  of  3,000 most talented students from recognized Universities/Institutions who will be selected as  per  PMRF  guidelines  to  enrol  in  the  Ph.D  program  in  IITs/IISc/IISERs/CUs by

providing  attractive  rates  of  fellowship  @  Rs.70,000/-  per  month  for  the  first  two years, Rs.75,000/- per month for the 3rd year, and Rs.80,000/- per month in the 4th and 5th years.  In addition, a research grant of Rs.2.00 lakh per year for a period of 5 years will be given to each fellow to meet the cost of presenting research papers.

- (ii) The  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  is  providing  financial  assistance  to  the Ph.D  scholars  under  the  schemes  of  Junior  Research  Fellowship  (JRF)  and  Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) in Science, Humanities and Social Sciences (NET), Swami Vivekanand  Single  Girl  Child  Fellowship  for  research  in  Social  Science,  Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students, National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), wherein fellowship @ Rs.31000/- per month is provided for first 2 years as JRF followed by Rs.35000/-  per  month  for  remaining  tenure  as  SRF.  In  addition  to  the  fellowship, admissible HRA & contingency grants are also provided.
- (iii) Scheme for Trans-disciplinary  Research  for India's Developing Economy (STRIDE) for Humanities and Human Sciences.
- (iv) Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT) for technical research.
- (v) Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS) for social sciences research.
- (vi) Scheme for  Promotion  of  Academic  and  Research  Collaboration  (SPARC)  for  joint research with Foreign Universities; and
- (vii) National Doctoral Fellowship (NDF)  scheme  to  promote research culture and collaborative research between Institute and Industries leading to start-ups in AICTE institutions.

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