Lok Sabha Question No. 4313 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-13
Subject: Young Scientist Research Programme
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Arvind Kumar Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4313 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13/12/2019

## YOUNG SCIENTIST RESEARCH PROGRAMME

## 4313.  SHRI ARVIND KUMAR SHARMA:

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

- (a) whether there has been any corresponding increase in the number of patent filings, patent approvals, number of research papers published and increase in impact factor of research papers of India with increase in funding under Young Scientist Research Programme, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor and the remedial steps taken thereon;
- (b) the achievements in 'Agricultural Research' under the said programme along with the steps taken to roll out  newly  developed advance agri-technologies to agricultural farms, under this programme including research in semi-arid or dry land agriculture;
- (c) the rate of growth of funding by the Government to Young Scientist Research Programme during the last five years;
- (d) whether the said programme is focusing on next frontiers of energy storage technologies like 'Solid state batteries' etc. catering to the technology requirement of national electric vehicle mobility mission and national solar mission programmes for its successful implementation;
- (e) whether the Government had fixed the eligibility criteria for selection of candidates under the said programmes less than 35 years during the current year, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to give age relaxation to economically poor candidates, if so, the details thereof?

## 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) Funding under Young Scientist Research Programme by the Government has resulted in several  positive  attributes  including  increase  in  patent  filings,  patent  approvals,  number  of research papers and enhancement of quality of research papers. The number of applications for patents,  filed  by  Indian  applicants  including  young  scientists  in  2017-18,  was  15,550,  i.e.  an increase of about 18% over the previous year. The number of patents granted to Indians in 201718  was  1937,  which  indicates  a  growth  of  205%  during  the  period  2013-18.  India's  research papers including that of Young Scientists increased by 50% from 90,864 in 2011 to 1,36,238 in 2016  with  a  growth  rate  of  8.4%  as  compared  to  the  global  growth  rate  of  1.9%  during  the

period  2011-16.  As  per  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST)  Commissioned  study  in 2019  based  on  SCOPUS  (Elsevier)  database,  India  moved  from  14 th position  in  2011  to  10 th position in  2017  in  quality  of  scientific  research  measured  in  terms  of  number  of  citations  for scientific  publications.  Improvement  in  quantity  and  quality  of  research  with  more  papers published  in  high  impact  factor  journals  are  traced  back  to  growing  research  funding  under various schemes and programmes of government including Young Scientist Research Programme.  Some  of  the  notable  programmes  of  the  Ministry  targeted  at  young  scientists include:  Innovation  in  Science  Pursuit  for  Inspired  Research  (INSPIRE)  of  DST,  National Postdoctoral  Fellowship  and  Start-up  Research  Grant  of  Science  and  Engineering  Research Board (SERB), Research Fellowship Schemes  of  Council  of  Scientific and Industrial  Research (CSIR)  and  Department  of  Biotechnology  (DBT),  Research  Associateship,  R&D  project  based Project Associates, Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award of DBT etc. (b) During  the  last  two  years  more  than  100  high  quality  publications  in  the  field  of agricultural  research  emanated  from  SERB  Schemes  that  are  exclusively  aimed  at  supporting Young Scientists. One of the patent applications filed on 'process technology of utilizing biomass or  bioresource or agro-industrial products or residues for production of low calories sugar Dpsicose' relates to a process technology in resolving agriculture waste issue that the country is facing currently. The SERB Schemes also resulted in developing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)  as  a  tool  to  develop  management  protocols  for  efficient  scientific  fumigation  practices leading  to  better  storage  of  Indian  spices.  CFD  model  was  developed  to  explain  fumigation patterns in stored spice beds. Also, safe storage guidelines were established for storage of spices using  hermetic  technology.  R&D  projects  on  semi-arid  crops  like  Foxtail  millet  (Kangni  / Kakum),  pearl  millet  (Bajra),  great  millet  (Jowar),  Finger  millet  (Ragi),  chick  pea  (Channa), pigeon pea (arhar dal), groundnut etc. were also supported. Several studies were undertaken to understand  the  genomics  of  diseases  resistance,  nitrogen  use  efficiency,  increased  water  use efficiency, water stress tolerance so as to develop new varieties through breeding. (c) Funding by Ministry of Science and Technology exclusively for young scientist research programmes grew from Rs. 804 crore in 2013-14 to Rs. 1283 crore in 2018-19, i.e. a growth of 59.5% during the period 2013-18. (d) A  significant  number  of  researchers  including  young  scientists  were  supported  to implement  Research  and  Development  (R&D)  projects  focusing  on  next  frontiers  of  energy storage technologies like 'Solid  state  batteries'.  Many  of  the  R&D  studies  undertaken  in  these projects are useful with potential to cater to the technology requirement of national missions like electric vehicle mobility mission, solar mission etc. (e)  &  (f):  The  eligibility  criteria  in  respect  of  age  for  applicants  vary  from  scheme  to  scheme under the Young Scientist Research Programme. For INSPIRE Faculty Fellow Scheme of DST, the upper age limit is 32 years with relaxation of three years for applicants belonging to SC/ST categories; for National Postdoctoral Fellowship of SERB and Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award  of  DBT,  it  is  35  years  with  relaxation  of  five  years  for  applicants  belonging  to SC/ST/OBC/ Physically Challenged / Women categories; for Start-up Research Grant of SERB, the age limit is 42 years with relaxation of three years for applicants belonging to SC/ST/OBC/ Physically Challenged/ Women categories; whereas for CSIR Fellowship Schemes, the upper age limit  is  28  years  with  relaxation  up  to  5  years  for  applicants  belonging  to  SC/  ST/  Physically Challenged/ Women categories and 3 years in case of OBCs. There is no proposal for giving age relaxation to economically poor candidates under Young Scientist Research Programme.

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