Lok Sabha Question No. 2644 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-06
Subject: Strengthening of Scientific Acumen among Students
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## STRENGTHENING OF SCIENTIFIC ACUMEN AMONG STUDENTS

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2644 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6/3/2020

## 2644. SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE:

Will the Minister be pleased to state:

- (a whether the Government such as malnutrition and work to improve quality the real time social issues being faced by the country of life of the common man;
- if s0, the details thereof;
- set virtual labs to take science to the reach f students (c) whether the Government proposes to up and in oener of the Country to strengthen scientific acumen among them; every
- (d) if s0, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE: MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES TECHNOLOGY;

MINISTER OF (DR HARSH VARDHAN)

- & Technology (ST) has taken steps to motivate scientists and (a) & (b): Yes, Sir: Ministry of Science and technologies to find solutions o the researchers for applying knowledge of S&T processes, tools and to work to improve quality this direction; the Ministry is O€ life of common man under its programme for societal development: In operating the following programmelschemes:
1. Science & Technology for Women
3. Scheduled Caste Sub Plan
- 2 Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA)
- 4 Tribal Sub Plan
6. Biotechnology based program for societal development
5. Technology Intervention for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE)
- 7.
- also encouraging location solutions for the upliftment Besides, State Councils for S&T are of weaker section through S&T intervention: specific
- need   based for These   schemes/programs aim to promote and  support and drudgery reduction and improved the target population by diffusion of and field-tested  indigenous among technologies at pilot scale proven
- and improvement of of societal relevance are focused o development\_ These schemes/programme rural and weaker communities which include SCIST, women, indigenous technologies to benefit Divyangjan and other backward communities ,
- include agriculture animal The focus areas supported under these schemes/programs sustainable rural engineering,  entrepreneurship development; bio-resource utilization development linked to hygiene and nutrition: and

made by Government to encourage scientisisy Further, following efforts are also\_being the country to improve the quality of problems of malnutrition being faced by researchers to work on life of common man:

- prospecting take under S&T for Women scheme of DSTsfon promotion of 2 Initiatives are being efficacy of Coarse Cereals and Millets; malnutrition in women by improving of SC/ST/women through Nutri-Farms sustainable nutrition and empowerment for economic and nutritional enhancement of supopularization %f uutritional crop genotypes
- researchers  under the of Science & 1. The problem and Technologists   (SYST) of   Department millet, Scheme for Young Scientists underutilized crops such as Technology (DST) in value addition of such as resistant starch and bioand standardization of different components food-based mitigation of pearl
- Primitive Tribes (Soliga) 3. Many innovative technologies have been common man and address the of Ahmedabad to improve the quality of life of value addition activities to nutritional and  disseminated to (1500 Farmers) so hundred i.eeermore than 30 States and Union Territories different of India in Public   Health   and problem regions
- malnutrition, anemia, stunting etc: Research Institute (LARI); Pusa, Delhi to 5. Efforts are also being made by Indian
- that it can be 4 Department of   Biotechnology is also supporting technological and clinical solutions for mandate to foster R & D to Nutrition with a provide
6. March 2018, efforts are being made to improve mothers to achieve targets for under-nutrition and prevalence of reduction in  low researeh-oriented outreach health Swasthya Rakshan country. care programs under SCSP, NPCDCS and specific public
- The ICMR- National Institute of Nutrition and regulatory bodies O nutrition These nutrition and health issues that the activities are based on research studies on contemporary country is facing:

() & (d): Virtual Labs project is an initiative Mission on Education through Information and Government of India  under the of National Communication Technology (NMEICT) aegis

- the science and engineering behind the labs allow students to practice and better learn Virtual
- in a consortia  mode\_of twelve This has been taken up for remote NIT Karnataka, COE; participating IIT Hyderabad, 'IT Delhi is the coordinating institute Pune and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeethan; project
- experiments that they are required to well as trained perform.

domains of Science   and 100 Virtual  Labs have been developed in major including some More than 850 nodal centers across the country; Technology They are being used in more thant the website Www vlabcoin' Ali labs can be accessed on the internet from remote areas:

- lab  facilities, Virtual Labs addresses issue of lack of also allow sharing of costly The It   will teachers, by making renote  experimeertationa areas, students be able to equipment across the country. In very experiments good project possible: perform will