Lok Sabha Question No. 76 (STARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: National Innovation Foundation
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Jayant Sinha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 76

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2021

## NATIONAL INNOVATION FOUNDATION

## *76. SHRI JAYANT SINHA:

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

- (a) the salient features of the National Innovation Foundation (NIF);
- (b)  the  achievements  made  by the  NIF  in  dissemination  of  knowledge at  the grassroots level so far; and
- (c)  the  details  of  the  projects  undertaken  by  the  NIF  during  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) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT AS REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 76 ON 05.02.2021 REGARDING NATIONAL INNOVATION FOUNDATION

## (a)     The salient features of the National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF) are as follows:

The  National  Innovation  Foundation  (NIF)  -  India  is  an  Autonomous  Institute  of Department of Science and Technology with a mandate to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge. NIF scouts, supports and spawns  grassroots  innovations  developed  by  individuals  and  local  communities.  It  works towards wider diffusion of innovations by generating material or non-material incentives for them and others involved in the value chain. NIF facilitates in-situ incubation as a result of which an innovation which is rooted in addressing an unmet need 'locally', is comprehended, value added, improved and eventually socially and commercially disseminated, so as to address the underlying needs in totality.

(b)     With the objective of disseminating knowledge about useful grassroots innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge across the country, NIF undertakes a number of efforts to create  awareness  by  on-farm/  field  demonstrations,  introducing  innovations  in  different areas, by organizing societal outreach programs, through booklets and leaflets, participating in exhibitions, and also through social media.

NIF has built an Innovation Portal (www.innovation.nif.org.in) which is home to about 1.15 lakh innovations scouted from common people of the country, covering Engineering, Agriculture,  Veterinary  and  Human  Health  and  a  resource  for  students,  entrepreneurs, MSMEs, Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) and common people engaged in a variety of occupations.

Some of the promising activities of knowledge dissemination by NIF are as follows: -

(i)       NIF  has  successfully  added  thousands  of  grassroots  innovations  entries  to  its database  from  the  country  through its Biennial National Grassroots  Innovation  and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge Awards competition during last 3 years. Through the Dr. APJ  Abdul  Kalam  IGNITE  Awards  of  NIF,  submissions  from  school  students  have  been received from all States and Union Territories of the country in lakhs during last 3 years.

(ii)      NIF  has  been  implementing  INSPIRE  Awards  -  MANAK  (Million  Minds  Augmenting National  Aspiration  and  Knowledge)  along  with  Department  of  Science  and  Technology, Government  of  India  and  during  last  three  Financial  Years,  ever  since  the  scheme  was

revamped  and  aligned  with  Start-up  India  plan,  a  total  of  15,93,324  students  have participated  and  1,76,204  students  amongst  them  have  been  supported  financially  for developing prototypes of their ideas and innovations. A total of 242 workshops, 683 District level exhibitions, 89 State level exhibitions and 1 National level exhibition involving students, teachers and experts have been organized so far.

- (iii)     More  than 1300 sanitary napkin making units across 27 states in India and in seven countries have been installed with the help of 'low cost sanitary napkin machine' technology recognized by NIF in the year 2009.
- (iv)    More than 1200 Pochampally saree weaver families have benefited from 'Laxmi Asu Making Machine'. This technology was recognized by NIF in 2009.
- (v)      Cotton  stripping  machine  was  widely  disseminated  in  the  state  of  Gujarat  amongst people  who  had  to  pluck  cotton  from  cotton  bolls,  which  was  a  drudgery  prone  task traditionally undertaken manually.
- (vi)    NIF facilitated transplantation of about 20,000 saplings of low chilling variety HRMN 99 apple at over 1500 farmers' field and 25 organizations in 30 states/UTs.
- (vii)    NIF  has facilitated the  diffusion of development of improved crop varieties of paddy, wheat,  pigeon  pea,  mustard,  carrot,  apple,  mango,  brinjal,  cauliflower,  onion,  pepper, cardamom etc.by more than 50 farmers and value added herbal formulations for the pest management  in  various  crops  involving  a  network  of  over  10,000  farmers  from  30 States/Union Territories.
- (viii)  NIF facilitated introduction of grassroots innovations at Correctional homes in Gurgaon, Dasna, Ahmedabad and Dharamshala wherein prison inmates leverage these technologies so as to generate livelihood.
- (ix)    NIF developed a grassroots innovator series of 13 episodes covering innovators from different  parts  of  the  country  which  have  been  accorded  wider  publicity  through  various social media platforms, on the DD Science channel and India Science portal.
- (c)      There  is  no  major  specific  project  undertaken  by  NIF  during  the  last  three  years. However, significant activities of NIF may be referred at point (b) above.

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