Lok Sabha Question No. 2425 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-15
Subject: WISE-KIRAN
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: S. Jothimani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2425 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.3.2023

## WISE-KIRAN

## 2425.    MS. S. JOTHIMANI:

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

- (a) the details of the steps that the Government has taken to encourage and support  women  in  setting  up  their  own  startups/companies  in  the  field  of science and technology;
- (b) the year-wise details of the amount spent on the WISE-KIRAN (Women in Science and Engineering- KIRAN) scheme in the State of Tamil Nadu, along with  the  number  of  beneficiaries  (especially  from  the  Karur  constituency) since the Scheme's inception;
- (c) the details of the steps the Government has taken to promote science and technology among children (especially among young girls in rural areas) at the school  level,  and  the  year-wise  expenditure  of  the  Ministry  and  its  other Offices on such activities during last four years; and
- (d) the details of the financial support that the Government has provided to women who desire to pursue graduate and postgraduate studies in the fields of science and technology, along with the budgetary allocation towards such schemes/activities?

## ANSWER

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

ͪव£ान और Ĥौɮयोͬगकȧ तथा पृ Øवी ͪव£ान मंğालय क े राÏय मंğी ( èवतंğ Ĥभार) (डॉ . िजतɅġ ͧसंह)

- (a) The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is conducting a training programme 'Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme (WEDP)' that aims to motivate and encourage potential women entrepreneurs. In addition to this, women led startups and innovators are also encouraged to apply and seek  support for  entrepreneurship  including  the  tech  led  entrepreneurship

under various components of National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations  (NIDHI)  programme.  Further,  BIRAC  (Biotechnology  Industry Research Assistance Council) has supported a network of 3 Bioincubation and preincubation  centres  dedicated  for  women  led  startups  only  and  provide incubation space and mentoring (business, IP, legal) specifically to women students/scientists/entrepreneurs.  Moreover,  Biotech  Ignition  Grant  (BIG) scheme of BIRAC provides grant-in-aid to individual entrepreneurs and startups. Out of total projects supported under this programme, 25% projects are led by women founders. BIRAC also operates women focused entrepreneurship award, called WInER Award fellowship (Women In Entrepreneurial Research), in partnership with TiE-Delhi NCR.

## (b) The year-wise details of the amount spent on the WISE-KIRAN (Women in Science and Engineering - KIRAN) scheme in the State of Tamil Nadu, along with the number of beneficiaries in last five years are mentioned below:

| Sl. No.   | Financial Year   |   No. of Beneficiaries |   Amount spent (in crores) |
|-----------|------------------|------------------------|----------------------------|
| 1.        | 2018-19          |                     43 |                       6.35 |
| 2.        | 2019-20          |                     55 |                       5    |
| 3.        | 2020-21          |                     84 |                       7.82 |
| 4.        | 2021-22          |                     59 |                       3.98 |
| 5.        | 2022-23          |                     38 |                       3.51 |
|           | TOTAL            |                    279 |                      26.66 |

- (c) The  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  has  started  Vigyan  Jyoti Programme in 2019-20 to motivate meritorious girl students of Class 9-12 to pursue higher education and career in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) particularly in the areas where women are underrepresented. Vigyan  Jyoti  Programme  is  implemented  by  Navodaya  Vidyalaya  Samiti through  Jawahar  Navodaya  Vidyalayas  which  are  mostly  located  in  rural settings. The Programme is in implementation in 200 districts of the country and more than 30000 girls have been benefitted through various interventions, since  the  inception.  Various  year-round  activities  including  counselling  of students-parents,  career  counselling,  special  lectures/classes,  curriculumbased STEM sessions, coding sessions, science camps, tinkering activities, visits to Knowledge Partners (KP)/Industry/Lab, interaction with role models, etc. Some special workshops on latest technologies have also been conducted for Vigyan Jyoti Scholars.

DST is also implementing a national program INSPIRE MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting  National  Aspiration  and  Knowledge)  aims  to  attract  young students to study science and pursue research career and to promote creative thinking  and  foster  a  culture  of  innovation  among  them.  The  Programme intends to target young students, including young girls in rural areas studying in  class  VI  to  X.  Under  INSPIRE  MANAK scheme, one lakh ideas are being shortlisted for a financial assistance of Rs. 10000/- each, directly into the bank accounts of the students through Direct Benefit Transfer for preparation of project/model/showcasing of idea. After a series of District Level and State level  exhibitions,  the  top  60  innovations  are  selected  from  National  Level Exhibition  for  whom  incubation  support  will  be  provided  and  also  will  be protected for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

| Financial Year   | Expenditure (in Crores)   |
|------------------|---------------------------|
| 2019-20          | 58.43                     |
| 2020-21          | 60.56                     |
| 2021-22          | 76.10                     |
| 2022-23          | 47.32 (till date)         |

- (d) There is no dedicated programme to provide support to women who desire to  pursue  graduate  and  postgraduate  studies  in  the  fields  of  science  & Technology. However, 'Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)' component of 'Innovation  in  Science  Pursuit  for  Inspired  Research  (INSPIRE)'  Programme aims to enhance rates of attachment of talented youth to undertake higher education  in  science  intensive  programmes,  by  providing  scholarships  and mentorship to both girls and boys. The scheme offers 10,000 Scholarship every year at Rs 0.80 lakh per year for the talented youth in the age group 17-22 years,  for  undertaking  Bachelors  and  Masters  level  education  in  natural sciences.

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