Lok Sabha Question No. 693 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-23
Subject: Technology Development Centre
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Rajan Baburao  Vichare

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 693 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23/07/2021

## TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

## 693.  SHRI RAJAN VICHARE:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ǒव£ान और Ĥौƭोिगकȧ मंğी be pleased to state:

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

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

ǒव£ान और Ĥौƭोिगकȧ तथा पृØवी ǒव£ान क े राÏय मंğी ( èवतंğ Ĥभार) (डॉ . ǔजतɅġ िसंह)

- (a)     Yes,  Sir. The  Government of India, is aware about the huge strength of science students in Maharashtra having scientific acumen/approach.  This is revealed from the participation of students from Maharashtra in schemes and programs run for students, as detailed below:-

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  12,176  students  from  Maharashtra  were  given

INSPIRE Awards MANAK, which reflects the innovation and creative potential of school students from Maharashtra.

INSPIRE Internship provides exposure to top 1% students from Class X Board by  organizing  Science  Camps  during  summer  or  winter  thus  presents opportunity of interaction with Science icons from India and abroad, including Nobel Laureates, to experience the joy of scientific pursuit. During 2017-20, 3500 students from Maharashtra participated in these camps.

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. The 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  three  years  (2018-21), 4631  students  from Maharashtra received SHE scholarship, which reflects the merit potential of science students from Maharashtra.

During the year 2020, about 1300 school students from Maharashtra participated in National Children Science Congress, organized by Department of  Science & Technology, to exhibit their creativity and innovativeness and particularly their ability to solve a societal problem experienced locally, using the method of science.

In  order  to  encourage  students  for  career  development  in  the  area  of Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, is supporting 39 Colleges under Star College Scheme in Maharashtra.

'JIGYASA' is another major initiative for bringing scientists and teachers for nurturing young minds by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology. This program envisages opening up the national scientific facilities to schoolchildren including students from Maharashtra, thus enabling CSIR scientific knowledge base and facilities to be utilized by them.  Various activities such as Laboratory Visit; Popular Lecture Series; Summer Vacation Programmes; Scientists as Teachers and Teachers as Scientists; Teachers' Workshop; Student Residential Programme; Visits of Scientists  to  schools;  Lab  specific  activities/Onsite  experiments  and  many more are being conducted on regular basis.

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

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