Lok Sabha Question No. 2076 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Technology Development Centre
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Veena Devi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2076 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

## 2076.   SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI:

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

- (a)         whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  Bihar  has  significant  strength  of science students having knowledge and potential and if so, the response of the Government thereto;
- (b)         whether  the  Government proposes to set up a  Technology Development Centre in Bihar; and
- (c)        if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## A N S W E R

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

वय और परवार कयाण मंी , वान और ौयोगक मंी एवं पृ वी वान मंी ( डॉ हष वधन )

- (a)        Yes,  Sir.  The  Government  of  India,  is  aware  about  the  significant  strength  of science students in Bihar having knowledge and potential and encouraging it suitably through its schemes and programs.

In order to attract young talent towards pursuing scientific career, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India is implementing 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)', an umbrella scheme to communicate excitement of creative pursuit of science to students. The scheme also aims to build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Research & Development (R&D) base.

Under  this  umbrella,  INSPIRE  Awards  MANAK  (Million  Minds  Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) attracts talented school students at an early age of 10-15  years  studying  in  Class  6-10  to  pursue  science.  One  lakh  ideas  from  these students are eligible for INSPIRE Award of Rs. 10000/-each. In last three  years, 801 students from Bihar were given INSPIRE Awards MANAK, which reflects the innovation and creative potential of school students from Bihar.

Another  component  under  INSPIRE,  Scholarship  for  Higher  Education  (SHE) aims to encourage meritorious students to study basic and natural sciences in Bachelor in  Science  (B.Sc)  and  Masters  in  Science  (M.Sc)  through  attractive  scholarship  and mentor-ship opportunities. Selection under SHE is based on performance (top 1%) in Class  XII  examinations  of  State/Central  School  Examination  Boards  and  in  selected national level competitive examinations like IIT-JEE, etc. During 2019-20, 229 students from  Bihar  received  SHE  scholarship,  which  reflects  the  merit  potential  of  science students from Bihar.

During  27 th National  Children  Science  Congress  (NCSC),  2019  organized  by National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), DST at Kerala, 30 school students from Bihar participated to exhibit their creativity and innovativeness and  particularly  their  ability  to  solve  societal  problems  experienced  locally,  using  the method of science.

Under State Science and Technology Programme (SSTP) of DST, Bihar Council of Science and Technology (BCST) supported, 500 projects of under graduate students under  its  Student  Project  Programme  (SPP)  in  2019-20  to  encourage  their  efforts  in science and technology.

In order to encourage students for career development in the area of Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, is supporting Postgraduate Teaching Program to ensure high standard of teaching and to generate critical mass of trained manpower in country. A total of 72 courses are being supported under  this  programme  across  the  country  and  one  M.Sc.  course  in  Agriculture Biotechnology is being supported at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur (Bihar). 84 students were supported in last 5 years at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur. Apart from this, DBT is also providing  fellowships  to  biotechnology  students  for  pursuing  doctoral  research  in universities and / or research institutions in the country. 23 students were supported in last 5 years under DBT-JRF Program in Bihar.

Under DBT Star College Scheme, envisaged for encouraging more students to take up higher education in science, 3 colleges from Bihar are being supported i.e. a) Patna Women's College b) Patna Science College and c) Anugrah Narayan College, Patna.

In addition to above, Government of Bihar has taken several initiatives to nurture the  knowledge  and  potential  of  science  students  of  Bihar  such  as  establishment  of Engineering  College,  Polytechnic,  facilitating  proposal  to  set  up  Indian  Institute  of Science  Education  and  Research  (IISER)  and  School  of  Planning  and  Architecture. BCST has submitted several  proposals  to  Department  of  Biotechnology  (DBT)  under Skill Vigyan Programme (SVP).

(b)  &  (c):   Presently,  the  Government  does  not  propose  to  set  up  a  Technology Development Centre in Bihar as there is no such scheme.

**************