Lok Sabha Question No. 518 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: KIRAN Scheme
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi, Sunil Kumar Singh, Devji Mansingram Patel, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Sunil Kumar Soni, Diya Kumari, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre, Arun Sao, Vijay Baghel

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 518 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2022

KIRAN Scheme

518.       SHRI SHIVAKUMAR C. UDASI:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

SHRI RANJEETSINGH HINDURAO NAIK NIMBALKAR:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SONI:

MS. DIYA KUMARI:

SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:

SHRI ARUN SAO:

SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL:

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

- (a) the details of the list of projects and activities conducted under the Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement for Nurturing (KIRAN) Scheme so far;
- the  year-wise  details  of  the  amount  spent  on  the  KIRAN  scheme  since  its inception  in  the  year  2014  in  the  state  of  Karnataka,  Rajasthan,  Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and the total number of beneficiaries within the States so
- (b) far;
- (c)   whether the Government proposes to implement any new activities or projects under the Kiran Scheme and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)   the details of the list of schemes implemented or proposed by the Government to
- increase the participation of female students at the school level in STEM fields?

## ANSWER

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

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

Ĥभार)

- (a) The  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST)  has  initiated  'Knowledge Involvement Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)' Scheme in 2014-15 which is now renamed as 'Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN)' to encourage  women  in  the  field  of  Science  and  Technology  (S&T)  through  gender enabling programmes. One of the flagship programmes under WISE-KIRAN is 'Women Scientist Scheme' which provides opportunities to women scientists and technologists, especially  those  who  had  a  break  in  career  with  its  three major components namely, i) Women Scientists Scheme-A (WOS-A) for conducting research in Basic  & Applied Sciences, ii) Women Scientists Scheme-B (WOS-B) for research that entail S&T interventions for societal benefit and iii) Women Scientists  Scheme-C (WOSC) to train them in the field of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Another programme,

'Indo-US  Fellowship  for  Women  in  STEMM'  (Science,  Technology,  Engineering, Mathematics  &  Medicine)  provides       opportunities  to  Indian  Women  Scientists, Engineers  &  Technologists  to  undertake  international  collaborative  research  in premier institutions in the USA for duration of 3-6 months. Further, institutional support is  available  through  'Consolidation  of  University  Research  through  Innovation  and Excellence (CURIE)' programme         which aims to develop infrastructure and state-of the art research facilities in women institutions.

Under WISE-KIRAN Scheme, recently two new initiatives namely, Vigyan Jyoti and  Gender  Advancement  for  Transforming  Institutions  (GATI)  have  been  started. Vigyan  Jyoti  programme  aims  to  encourage  meritorious  girls  to pursue career in underrepresented areas of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) while  GATI  programme  aims  to  transform  institutions  for  more  gender  sensitive approach and inclusiveness with ultimate goal to improve the gender equality in S&T domain.

## (b) Since the inception of KIRAN scheme in the year 2014, the year-wise fund spent in the state of Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh  and Jharkhand along with total number of beneficiaries in these states are given below:

| States   | Karnataka         | Karnataka              | Rajasthan        | Rajasthan             | Maharashtra      | Maharashtra           | Chhattisgarh     | Chhattisgarh          | Jharkhand         | Jharkhand              |
|----------|-------------------|------------------------|------------------|-----------------------|------------------|-----------------------|------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
| Year     | Budge t (in lakh) | No. of bene ficiari es | Budget (in lakh) | No. of benefi ciaries | Budget (in lakh) | No. of benefi ciaries | Budget (in lakh) | No. of benefi ciaries | Budg et (in lakh) | No. of bene ficiari es |
| 2014     | 531.04            | 23                     | 129.99           | 6                     | 634.85           | 27                    | 0                | Nil                   | 21.90             | 1                      |
| 2015     | 236.20            | 9                      | 82.56            | 4                     | 228.21           | 10                    | 17.44            | 1                     | 22.43             | 1                      |
| 2016     | 445.58            | 21                     | 205.03           | 8                     | 778.25           | 33                    | 0                | Nil                   | 36.05             | 2                      |
| 2017     | 698.84            | 31                     | 223.56           | 9                     | 1047.47          | 42                    | 0                | Nil                   | 53.75             | 2                      |
| 2018     | 828.03            | 32                     | 179.18           | 7                     | 1528.03          | 46                    | 113.72           | 4                     | 51.58             | 2                      |
| 2019     | 529.32            | 21                     | 129.94           | 5                     | 981.43           | 33                    | 84.63            | 3                     | 126.86            | 5                      |
| 2020     | 368.54            | 13                     | 49.07            | 2                     | 754.95           | 25                    | 33.75            | 1                     | 0.00              | Nil                    |
| 2021     | 28.44             | 1                      | 471.46           | 4                     | 165.66           | 6                     | 55.38            | 1                     | 0.00              | Nil                    |

(c)   Few new activities are in implementation under WISE-KIRAN scheme.

- (d) The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is implementing 'Vigyan Jyoti' programme to increase participation of female students at the school level in STEM fields. The programme was started in the year 2019-20 to encourage meritorious girl students of Class 9-12 to pursue higher education and career in STEM particularly in the  areas  where  women are underrepresented. Various activities  such as  Science Camps, special  lectures/classes, tinkering activities, counselling of students-parents, career  counselling, interaction with role models,  etc. are conducted in the programme.  Selected  girls are also  getting  opportunity  to  visit  nearby  scientific institutions  and  industries.  Since  the  inception,  more  than  32000  girls  have  been supported in 200 districts under Vigyan  Jyoti.

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