Lok Sabha Question No. 3576 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: New Invention in Science and Technology
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: SANJAY(KAKA) RAMCHANDRA PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3576 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2/1/2019

## NEW INVENTION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## †3576. SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ +ÉÉè® |ÉÉètÉÉäÉÊMÉBÉEÉÒ àÉÆjÉÉÒ be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to promote and implement new invention and technologies in science and technology sector;
- (b) whether any help is likely to be sought from the IITs and other institutions in this regard and if so, the details in this regard;
- (c) whether any funds have been earmarked/proposed to be earmarked by the Government to improve or to make the new technology error free; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES AND MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ +ÉÉè® |ÉÉètÉÉäÉÊMÉBÉEÉÒ àÉÆjÉÉÒ, {Éßl´ÉÉÒ ÉÊ´ÉYÉÉxÉ àÉÆjÉÉÒ +ÉÉè® {ÉªÉÉÇ´É®hÉ, ´ÉxÉ A´ÉÆ VÉãÉ´ÉÉªÉÖ {ÉÉÊ®´ÉiÉÇxÉ àÉÆjÉÉÒ

(bÉ. c­ÉÇ ´ÉvÉÇxÉ)

(a)  &  (b):    Ministry  of  Science  and  Technology  and  other  Departments/Ministries  have  taken  steps  to  promote  and implement  new  invention  and  technologies  in  science  and  technology  sector.  To  promote  scientific  fraternity,  and inculcate scientific research and innovation in the country, R&D support is provided to the domains like biomedical devices, waste management, advance manufacturing, clean energy & water, nanotechnology, Geo Spatial Technology, Interdisciplinary  Cyber  Physical  Systems  covering  entire  technology  value  chain  through  national,  bilateral  and multilateral initiatives involving participation of several academic institutions including Indian Institute of Technology (IITs).  Equal  emphasis  is  given  to  involve  IITs  and  other  premier  Institutions  of  S&T  prominence  to  fine  tune  and deliver scalable technologies in challenging areas for societal benefits. Swarna Jayanti Fellowships Scheme to support Scientists up to 40 years, has been launched during 50th year of India's independence.

Mission  Innovation  is  one  such  major  step  taken  by  Government  to  accelerate  clean  energy  innovations through  enhanced  public  funding,  greater  private  sector  participation  and  improved  knowledge  sharing  and  global partnership.

Department of Biotechnology has also been implementing numerous schemes, programmes and awards such as Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship, Fellowships under Biomedical Research Career Programme (DBT-WT/ India Alliance), Innovative Young Biotechnologist Awards (IYBA), Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme  (BioCARe)  through  the  competitive  grant  system  for  research  &  development  and  demonstration  and translation research in laboratories across the country.

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) a Public Sector Undertaking of Department of Biotechnology also intend to promote scientist and scientific research in the country through various funding schemes such  as  Biotech  Ignition  Grant,  Small  Business  Innovation  Research  Initiative  (SBIRI),  Biotechnology  Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP), Social Innovation programme for Products: Affordable & Relevant to Societal Health (SPARSH), Promoting Academic Research Conversion to Enterprise (PACE), etc.

Department  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (DSIR)    has  been  operating  a  programme  called  Patent Acquisition and Collaborative Research and Technology Development (PACE) since 12th five year plan, under which projects  involving  up-scaling  of  S&T  innovations  and  industrial  R&D  from  proof-of-concept  or  lab  scale  up  to commercialization  are  supported.  These  projects  are  submitted  by  industries  alone  or  in  collaboration  with  public funded R&D organizations/institutions.

Under DSIR,  Council  of  Scientific  &  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  R&D  activities  cover  a  wide  spectrum  of science  and  technology  -  from  radio  and  space  physics,  oceanography,  earth  sciences,  geophysics,  chemicals,  drugs,

genomics,  biotechnology  and  nanotechnology  to  mining,  materials,  aeronautics,  instrumentation,  environmental engineering  and  information  technology.    The  recent  initiatives  taken  by  CSIR  includes:  implementing  Fast  Track Translation Projects (FTTs)  and Fast  Track Commercialization (FTC) which provides execution of close to  market, business  driven  projects,  in  any  area  of  technology  or  application;  Mission  Mode  Projects  (MMPs)  in  order  to  put concerted and sustained efforts in an identified areas by synergizing the best competencies available in various CSIR labs  and  outside  institutions    and;  Focused  Basic  Research  (FBR)  Projects  and  Niche  Creating  High  Science/  High Technology (NCP) Projects.

Under Department of Health Research, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently established Innovation and Translation Division in 2015 at ICMR head quarters to support the translation of research outcomes from  its  26  institutes.  In  an  effort  to  meet  the  growing  demand  in  the  healthcare  sector,  IITs  and  other  research institutes are working in close collaboration (along with industries) to build process platforms that which will ensure delivery of quality and affordable healthcare.

Under Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through  its  constituent    Institutes  and  All  India  Coordinated  Research  Centers  across  the  country  have  developed various  improved  technologies,  implements  and  machines  for  improving  the  crop  yield  and  reducing  labour requirement  and  drudgery  in  farm  operations.  Awareness  of  the  new  technologies  among  farmers  is  being  done regularly through training, demonstration, kishan melas and  Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav programmes etc. by respective Institutes.

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) with its four Research and Development (R&D) units covers the entire spectrum of Nuclear Power Programme, Nuclear Science and Engineering related areas. The areas of R&D include Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Biosciences, agriculture, food preservation, water desalination, water purification,  Nuclear  reactor  technologies,  reprocessing  and  waste  management.  DAE  has  entered  into  MoUs  with academic  institutes  and  research  organizations  for  development  of  new  technology.  Spinoff  technologies  are  also generated for betterment of society and transferred to interested entrepreneurs for commercialization.DAE is running various  schemes  like  DAE  Graduate  Fellowship  Scheme  (DGFS),  PhD  DGFS,  Dr  K  S  Krishna  Research  Associates Fellowship (KSKRA), DAE Scientific Research Council (SRC) and Prospective Research Funding (PRF) for promoting research work.

Department  of  Heavy  Industry  launched  a  scheme  for  the  'Enhancement  of  Competitiveness  in  the  Indian Capital Goods Sector' in November, 2014. The Scheme aims to increase competitiveness of the Indian Capital Goods Sector  through  development  and  acquisition  of  the  latest  technological.  The  Scheme  addresses  the  creation  of technological  depth  in  the  Capital  Goods  Sector  by  setting  up  of  Centers  of  Excellence  (CoE)  for  technology development, Common Engineering Facility Centers (CEFC) and sector specific Integrated Industrial Infrastructure Facility  (IIIF).  The  Scheme  also  has  a  financial  component  namely,  the  Technology  Acquisition  Fund  Programme (TAFP) for acquisition/ transfer of technology. It envisages Public Private Partnership for implementation of most of its components  with  a  budgetary  support  of  Rs.  581.22  crore.  The  Scheme  encourages  the  development  of  indigenous technology and manufacturing, cost competitiveness, generation in collaboration with the user Industry and academic institutions like IITs and other such institutions of academic excellence.

Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  is  providing  support  for  promoting  and  implementing  new invention  and  technology,  for  all  the  participating  institutions  under  the  Project,  Technical  Education  Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP-III). Hackathons are being conducted so that innovative ideas would emerge and can be incubated in the start-up Centre as per All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) 10-point Mandate.

The  Government  has  launched  national  flagship  program  such  as  IMPacting  Research  Innovation  and Technology (IMPRINT) and Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) which aim at providing solutions to the most relevant engineering challenges faced by the nation by translating knowledge into a viable technology. These are joint initiatives with Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was executed on 31 st March  2016  for  joint  action  for  promoting  research  in  premier  technical  institutions  through  the  IMPRINT programme.

The Government has also taken various steps to strengthen the IP ecosystem in the country, which in turn has a positive impact on new inventions and technology in Science and technology sector. A comprehensive National IPR policy has been approved in 2016 to stimulate innovation and creativity across sectors.

Ministry  of  Electronics  &  Information  Technology  (MeitY)  is  implementing  a  scheme  titled  'Support  for International  Patent  Protection  in  E&IT  (SIP-EIT)'  for  MSMEs  and  Technology  Start-up  Units  to  facilitate international patent filing. As of now, 34 International patent applications have been approved under the scheme since the inception of the scheme in December 2014.

(c)  &  (d):    Upgrading  of  technologies  as  per  emerging  needs  is  a  continuous  process  under  various  schemes  under implementation and therefore, no need has been felt to create a separate scheme for the purpose.

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