Lok Sabha Question No. 738 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Spending on Research and Development
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 738 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05/02/2021

## SPENDING ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

738.      SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

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

- (a) whether the funds allocated and spent on scientific Research and Development (R&D) in the Country is less as compared to other developing countries;
- (b) if  so, the details thereof alongwith comparative data of such spending during last three years;
- (c) whether Government proposes to increase the funds for investment in R&D;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  number  of  Scientists  per  millon  people  in  the Country is less compared to other Asian Countries;
- (f) if  so,  the details thereof along with steps being taken to encourage scientific research activities; and
- (g) the  number  of  patent  for  new  innovation  granted  to  Indian  Scientists  during each of the last three years?

## 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)  &  (b)           As  per   latest  available  statistics,  India's  spending  on  Research  and  Development (R&D) is consistently increasing and has nearly tripled from Rs. 39,437.77 crore in 2007-08 to Rs. 1,13,825.03 crore in 2017-18. It is estimated to be 123847.71 crore during 2018-19. India is ranked among the top 10 countries of the world in R&D investment in terms of US$ Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). A comparative table pertaining to R&D expenditure by select countries during last three years is at Annexure I.

(c)  &  (d)           Government  has  consistently  increased  allocation  of  funds  for  R&D  investment  in Science  and  Technology  (S&T)  in  the  country.  The  progressive  expenditure  for  six  Major Scientific Agencies for the last three years is as under:

(in Rs. Crore)

| Department                                                                                 |   2019-20 |   2020-21# |   2021-22* |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|------------|------------|
| Department of Science & Technology (DST)                                                   |   5453.03 |    5012.1  |    6071.59 |
| Department of Scientific & Industrial Research/ Council of Scientific Research (DSIR/CSIR) |   4872.51 |    4251.86 |    5224.27 |
| Department of Bio-Technology (DBT)                                                         |   2358.77 |    2300    |    3502.37 |
| Department of Space (DOS)                                                                  |  13033.3  |    9500    |   13949.1  |
| Department of Atomic Energy (R&D Sector)                                                   |   6483.57 |    6098.61 |    7183.44 |
| Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)                                                          |   1725.6  |    1304.38 |    1901.69 |
| Total                                                                                      |  33926.8  |   28467    |   37832.4  |

Source: Demands for Grants of Central Government, Expenditure Budget, GoI (various Years)

Note:  # - Revised Estimates; *- Budget Estimate

(e)  &  (f):   As  per  the  latest  available  S&T  Statistics,  the  number  of  research  scientists  per  million people in India is  lower than countries such as Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and China but higher  than  Indonesia,  Philippines,  Sri  Lanka  etc.  in  Asia.  Details  of  Asian  countries  in  terms  of number of research scientists per million people is at Annexure II.

The  Government  has  taken  various  steps  to  encourage  scientific  research  activities  in  the country such as successive increase in plan allocations for scientific departments, setting up of new institutions  for  science,  education  and  research,  creation  of  Centres  of  Excellence  and  facilities  in emerging and frontline areas of S&T in academic and national institutions, operation of schemes such as Fund for Improvement of Science and Technology Infrastructure (FIST); Sophisticated Analytical Instrument  Facilities  (SAIF),  Visiting  Advanced  Joint  Research  (VAJRA)  Faculty  Scheme  for distinguished  overseas  scientists  and  academicians  including  Non-Resident  Indians  (NRIs)  and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship (OVDF), Prime Minister's research  fellowships,  Teacher  Associate-ship  for  Research  Excellence  (TARE)  and  Distinguished Investigator  Award  (DIA),  Department  of  Bio-Technology-The  World  Academy  of  Sciences    (DBTTWAS)  International  fellowships  and  providing  substantial  grant  to  potential  scientists  through extramural research funding etc.

- (g)     The number of patents granted to Indian scientists for new innovations at Indian Patent Office (IPO) during the period from 2016-2017 to 2018-2019 is as under:

| Patents granted   | 2016-2017 1315   | 2017-2018 1937   | 2018-2019 2511   |
|-------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|

Source: Annual Report(s) of the Controller General of Patents, Design and Trade Marks

## ANNEXURE I

R&D Expenditure by top 15 countries (in billion Current PPP$)

|   Sl No. | Country            | 2018   |   2017 | 2016   |
|----------|--------------------|--------|--------|--------|
|        1 | USA                | 581.6  |  549   | 516.6  |
|        2 | China              | 554.3  |  499.1 | 453.1  |
|        3 | Japan              | 176.8  |  170.9 | 164.8  |
|        4 | Germany            | 137.9  |  132   | 119.9  |
|        5 | Republic of Korea  | 99.6   |   91   | 80.5   |
|        6 | India              | 68.2   |   63.9 | 59     |
|        7 | France             | 66.8   |   65.3 | 62.5   |
|        8 | UK                 | 52.1   |   50.4 | 47.4   |
|        9 | Brazil             | NA     |   41.1 | 40     |
|       10 | Russian Federation | 40.1   |   41.9 | 38.7   |
|       11 | Italy              | 35.2   |   34.2 | 32.5   |
|       12 | Canada             | 27.9   |   28.5 | 28.1   |
|       13 | Spain              | 23.1   |   21.9 | 20.2   |
|       14 | Australia          | NA     |   22.9 | NA     |
|       15 | Israel             | 17.5   |   16.3 | 14.4   |

Source: UNESCO, UIS Stat accessed on 02 Feb 2021

## ANNEXURE II

Scientists/Researchers per Million People in Asian countries

|   Sl No. | Country       |   Researcher per Million Population |   Reference Year |
|----------|---------------|-------------------------------------|------------------|
|        1 | Bahrain       |                                 369 |             2014 |
|        2 | Cambodia      |                                  30 |             2015 |
|        3 | China         |                                1307 |             2018 |
|        4 | India         |                                 253 |             2018 |
|        5 | Indonesia     |                                 216 |             2018 |
|        6 | Iran          |                                1475 |             2017 |
|        7 | Iraq          |                                 111 |             2018 |
|        8 | Japan         |                                5331 |             2018 |
|        9 | Jordan        |                                 596 |             2017 |
|       10 | Kuwait        |                                 514 |             2018 |
|       11 | Malaysia      |                                2397 |             2016 |
|       12 | Oman          |                                 281 |             2018 |
|       13 | Pakistan      |                                 336 |             2017 |
|       14 | Philippines   |                                 106 |             2015 |
|       15 | Qatar         |                                 577 |             2018 |
|       16 | Rep. of Korea |                                7980 |             2018 |
|       17 | Singapore     |                                6803 |             2017 |
|       18 | Sri Lanka     |                                 106 |             2015 |
|       19 | Thailand      |                                1350 |             2017 |
|       20 | UAE           |                                2379 |             2018 |
|       21 | Uzbekistan    |                                 476 |             2018 |
|       22 | Viet Nam      |                                 708 |             2017 |

Source: UNESCO,  UIS Stat accessed on 02 Feb 2021.

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