Lok Sabha Question No. 693 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Technology Development Centre
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Veena Devi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 693 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05/02/2021

## Technology Development Centre

## 693.    SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI:

## Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY वान और ौयोगक

be pleased to state:

## मंी

- (a) whether  Government  is  aware  that  Bihar  has  a  huge  strength  of students having scientific acumen/ approach;
- (b) whether Government has any plan to set up a Technology Development Centre in Bihar to facilitate such students; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## 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) Yes, Sir. The Government of India, is aware of the significant strength of students with  scientific  acumen  in  Bihar  having  knowledge  &  potential  and  is  encouraging  it appropriately through its schemes and programs.

In  order  to  attract  young  talent  towards  pursuing  scientific  career,  .Department  of Science and Technology (DST)  is implementing an umbrella scheme, 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)',  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, the scheme 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  mentorship

opportunities.  Selections  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 last  year (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 innovation and particularly their ability to solve a societal problem 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),  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).  Total  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.  Total 23 students 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  a)  Patna Women's College b) Patna Science College c) Anugrah Narayan College, Patna

In addition to above, the 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.

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