Lok Sabha Question No. 605 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Domestic Research Ecosystem
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Zia Ur Rehman

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 605 ANSWERED ON 23/07/2025

## DOMESTIC RESEARCH ECOSYSTEM

605. SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  a  large  number  of  Indian students and researchers are going abroad to pursue advanced research due to lack of adequate infrastructure, funding and opportunities in India;
- (b) if so, the reasons identified by the Government for this academic and research migration;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any concrete steps to improve the domestic research ecosystem, including better funding, modern laboratories, mentorship and international-level collaboration opportunities; and
- (d) if so, the details of such initiatives and their impact in reversing brain drain and promoting research excellence within the country?

## ANSWER

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

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्ितंत्र प्रभार)

(डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह)

- (a) to (b): There  is  no  statistical  evidence  or  data  which  shows  that  large number of Indian students and researchers are going abroad to pursue advanced research due to lack of adequate infrastructure, funding and opportunities in India.
- (c) to (d): Several initiatives have been taken up by the Government to improve the  domestic  research  ecosystem  like:  instituting  high-stakes  mission-driven initiatives, namely National Quantum Mission; National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems, National Geospatial Mission focusing on  the  development  of  key  technologies  to  reduce  dependency  on  imports, promote  domestic  innovation,  and  position  India  as  a  global  leader  in  the identified sectors. Government has launched several programmes to catalyze startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Several policy measures have been introduced by the Government including the Geospatial Policy 2022 and BioE3

(Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy 2024. The Government  has  established  the  Anusandhan  National  Research  Foundation (ANRF) through the ANRF Act 2023 towards strengthening our technological leadership, marking a paradigm shift in our R&D ecosystem. The government has  been  strengthening  research  infrastructure  through  multiple  schemes  / programs such as: Fund for Improvement of S&T infrastructures in universities and higher educational institutions (FIST), Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE), Scientific Infrastructure Access for Harnessing Academia University Research Joint Collaboration (DBT-SAHAJ Infrastructure). etc. The schemes of ANRF (erstwhile, Science and Engineering Research Board) such as Core Research Grant (CRG), Prime Minister's Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG), Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) program, etc. have been instrumental in strengthening the domestic research ecosystem  of  the  country.  The  government  is  also  fostering  International cooperation in Science & Technology through bilateral cooperation with several developed  and  developing  countries  including  USA,  UK,  France,  Germany, Russia, Japan; regional cooperation such as with ASEAN, BIMSTEC, etc; and multilateral cooperation through EU, TWAS, IBSA, BRICS, UNESCO, SCO, QUAD etc.

Further,  government  has  taken  up  several  programme/schemes  aimed  at empowering  the  young  researchers  in  the  country  to  pursue  world-class research in cutting edge areas of science and technology by improving access to better funding, high-end research laboratories, mentorship, and internationallevel  collaboration  opportunities.  Some  of  the  key  programmes  like  National Post-Doctoral  Fellowship  (NPDF),  Ramanujan  Fellowship;  INSPIRE  Faculty Fellowship; Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship; Biomedical Research Career Programme and MK Bhan-Young Researcher Fellowship have supported a large number of young researchers and have also attracted brilliant Indian researchers from abroad to return to India and conduct high quality research. The  VAIBHAV  fellowship  of  DST  provides  a  platform  for  overseas  scientists including Non-Resident Indians to undertake collaborative research in Indian Institutions and Universities for a finite period of time. In addition, the Flexible Complementing Scheme / Merit based promotion scheme positioned in scientific departments and introduction of Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS) in strategic Departments have also been instrumental in recruiting and retaining the  scientists.  All  these  efforts  made  by  the  government  contribute  towards promoting research excellence within the country and thereby reversing the brain drain.

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