Lok Sabha Question No. 4809 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-29
Subject: Features of INSPIRE Scheme
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Kirit Premjibhai Solanki

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4809 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.3.2023

## FEATURES OF INSPIRE SCHEME

†4809. DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI :

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

be

- (a) the objectives and salient features of the INSPIRE scheme;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  number  of  students  selected  from  the  States/Union
- Territories including Gujarat under the said scheme; and
- (c) the details of the various types of benefits/ assistance being provided by the Government to the students selected under the said scheme?

## 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 salient features of 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)' along with its objectives are to attract, motivate, nurture and train talented and meritorious students to study science subjects and opt for careers in  Research  and  Development  (R&D)  to  build  a  pipeline  of  quality  human resource, thereby widening the R&D human resource base of the country.   The 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)' offers   INSPIRE Internship Science camp exposure to  50,000 students/year  to experience  the  joys  of  creative  pursuit  of  science,  Scholarships  For  Higher Education (SHE) to 12,000 students every year who are in top 1% of Class 12 th Board examinations to pursue B.Sc. and M.Sc. courses in Basic and Natural Sciences,  1000  INSPIRE  Fellowships/year  to  the  meritorious  students  on competitive basis for pursuing Ph.D. degree  and  100 INSPIRE  Faculty

Fellowships  each  year  to  young  researchers   to  establish  themselves  as independent post-doctoral researchers.

- (b)  The  details  of  the  number  of  students  selected  during  2022-23  from  the States/Union Territories including Gujarat under the said scheme is Annexed.
- (c) The details of the various types of benefits/assistance being provided by the Government to the students selected under the said scheme are as given below:

| INSPIRE Scheme                         | INSPIRE Scheme                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Component Name                         | Benefits/assistance being provided by the Government                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| INSPIRE Internship                     | INSPIRE Internship Science camps are fully funded by Government. Students get the opportunity to interact with Academy Fellows, Bhatnagar Awardees, Scientists and academicians of National and International repute through lectures related to scientific success stories and joys of innovation across all science streams which in turn would nourish the curiosity of children in science, help them to think out of box and attract them at an early age of 16-17 years to enroll/pursue their academics/career in science. In addition, students are also provided hands on training/experiments opportunity during the Science camp duration of 5 days. |
| Scholarship For Higher Education (SHE) | INSPIRE-SHE provides Scholarship to each selected student for 5 years based on the consistent performance @ Rs.80,000/year (Scholarship grant of Rs. 60,000 each year i.e., @ Rs.5000/month + Mentorship grant of Rs 20,000 every year for undertaking Bachelor and Masters level education in natural and basic sciences for the talented youth in the age group 17-22 years. Scholarship is provided through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| INSPIRE Fellowship                     | INSPIRE Fellowship provides Fellowship to each selected student and Fellowship is tenable for maximum 5 years (2 years as JRF and 3 years as SRF) or completion of Ph.D., whichever is earlier to pursue full-time PhD program. The Fellowship amount including the contingencies is equivalent to CSIR-UGC NET Fellowship and is governed time to time as                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |

|                            | per GoI norms & regulations. At present, each fellow receives Rs 31,000/- per month + admissible HRA based on Host Institute city + 20,000 annual contingency as JRF and Rs. 35,000/- per month + admissible HRA based on Host Institute city + 20,000 annual contingency as SRF. Fellowship is provided through Central Nodal Agency (CNA) mode.                   |
|----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship provides Fellowship to each selected fellow for 5 years based on the consistent performance and each fellow receives fellowship of Rs 1,25,000/- per month with an annual increment of Rs. 2000/- and Rs 35 lakh (at the rate of Rs 7.0 lakh per year) of Research Grant for 5 years to establish themselves as independent researchers. |

| INSPIRE Scheme Selection data for the Year 2022-23   | INSPIRE Scheme Selection data for the Year 2022-23   | INSPIRE Scheme Selection data for the Year 2022-23   | INSPIRE Scheme Selection data for the Year 2022-23   | INSPIRE Scheme Selection data for the Year 2022-23   |
|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No                                                 | State                                                | INSPIRE-SHE                                          | Fellowship                                           | Faculty Fellowship                                   |
| 1                                                    | ANDHRA PRADESH                                       | 18                                                   | 23                                                   | 3                                                    |
| 2                                                    | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                    | 0                                                    | 4                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 3                                                    | ASSAM                                                | 115                                                  | 45                                                   | 6                                                    |
| 4                                                    | BIHAR                                                | 154                                                  | 5                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 5                                                    | CHANDIGARH                                           | 2                                                    | 25                                                   | 0                                                    |
| 6                                                    | CHHATTISGARH                                         | 273                                                  | 9                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 7                                                    | DELHI                                                | 50                                                   | 49                                                   | 2                                                    |
| 8                                                    | GOA                                                  | 2                                                    | 7                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 9                                                    | GUJARAT                                              | 192                                                  | 27                                                   | 0                                                    |
| 10                                                   | HARYANA                                              | 321                                                  | 6                                                    | 6                                                    |
| 11                                                   | HIMACHAL PRADESH                                     | 257                                                  | 15                                                   | 0                                                    |
| 12                                                   | JAMMU AND KASHMIR                                    | 24                                                   | 28                                                   | 0                                                    |
| 13                                                   | JHARKHAND                                            | 22                                                   | 2                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 14                                                   | KARNATAKA                                            | 53                                                   | 64                                                   | 2                                                    |
| 15                                                   | KERALA                                               | 731                                                  | 54                                                   | 6                                                    |
| 16                                                   | MADHYAPRADESH                                        | 699                                                  | 47                                                   | 1                                                    |
| 17                                                   | MAHARASHTRA                                          | 443                                                  | 47                                                   | 3                                                    |
| 18                                                   | MANIPUR                                              | 172                                                  | 9                                                    | 1                                                    |
| 19                                                   | MEGHALAYA                                            | 69                                                   | 2                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 20                                                   | MIZORAM                                              | 2                                                    | 4                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 21                                                   | NAGALAND                                             | 23                                                   | 1                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 22                                                   | ODISHA                                               | 93                                                   | 53                                                   | 3                                                    |
| 23                                                   | PUDUCHERRY                                           | 2                                                    | 2                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 24                                                   | PUNJAB                                               | 82                                                   | 29                                                   | 1                                                    |
| 25                                                   | RAJASTHAN                                            | 1197                                                 | 20                                                   | 4                                                    |
| 26                                                   | SIKKIM                                               | 0                                                    | 2                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 27                                                   | TAMIL NADU                                           | 25                                                   | 83                                                   | 7                                                    |
| 28                                                   | TELANGANA                                            | 38                                                   | 61                                                   | 2                                                    |
| 29                                                   | TRIPURA                                              | 2                                                    | 5                                                    | 0                                                    |
| 30                                                   | UTTAR PRADESH                                        | 4217                                                 | 75                                                   | 8                                                    |
| 31                                                   | UTTARAKHAND                                          | 739                                                  | 28                                                   | 1                                                    |
| 32                                                   | WEST BENGAL                                          | 838                                                  | 127                                                  | 32                                                   |
|                                                      | Grand Total                                          | 10855                                                | 958                                                  | 88                                                   |