Lok Sabha Question No. 1818 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: NITI Aayog Recommendation for a cut in Core Grant Support to State S&T Councils
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Adv K. Francis George

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1818 ANSWERED ON 30/07/2025

## NITI AAYOG RECOMMENDATION FOR A CUT IN CORE GRANT SUPPORT TO STATE S&T COUNCILS

## 1818. ADV K. FRANCIS GEORGE:

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

- (a) whether NITI Aayog has recommended for a cut in 'core grant support' for  State  Science  and  Technology  (S&T)  councils  and  if  so,  the  reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government is planning to initiate 'Project based support' henceforth to State S&T Councils as recommended by NITI Aayog;
- (c) if so, the details of fund given to States S&T councils annually by the Government, State wise; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to reconsider the recommendation of NITI Aayog and continue liberal funding to State S&T councils to execute research  and  development  in  tune  with  their  specific  socio-economic conditions and if so, the details thereof?

## 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) The report titled  'A  Roadmap for Strengthening State S&T Councils' released by NITI Aayog on 10.07.2025, recommends that the support given to State S&T Councils by Department of Science and Technology (DST), should be  project-based  grant,  focused  on  their  capabilities  and  performance.   It further recommends discontinuing core annual grant, except for continued support to smaller councils in North Eastern region and Union Territories. These  recommendations  are  the  outcome  of  the  regional  consultative meetings of NITI Aayog with State S&T Councils. The report recommends widening  of  the  support  base  through  greater  financial  ownership  by  the States  and  enhanced  project-based  financial  support  from  various  Central Government Ministries and Departments, including performance-based grants and increased linkages.

(b) to (d): DST  has  been  providing  project  based  support  to  State  S&T Councils and in the last five years, 187 projects have been sanctioned to the State  S&T  Councils,  viz.,  Establishment  of  Patent  Information  Centres, Women  Technology  Parks,  SC/ST  Cells,  Climate  Change  Centres/Cells, Organizing Children Science Congress, Celebration of National Science Day and Mathematics Day etc.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under its North Eastern Region (NER) programme has sanctioned 4 projects to State S&T Councils during last five years regarding sustainable utilization of bio-resources, Biotech Hub etc. The details of funds released to S&T Councils under these projects during last five years, state-wise, are given in the Annexure.

The Government of India continues supporting and strengthening the State level, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Ecosystem by enabling State S&T  Councils  in  several  domains  with  respect  to  their  socio-economic conditions.

## Annexure

| Sl.                                     | Name of                                 | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)           | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)           | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)           | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)           | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)           | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)           |
|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| No.                                     | State/UT Council                        | FY 2020-21                              | FY 2021- 22                             | FY 2022-23                              | FY 2023- 24                             | FY 2024-25                              | Total                                   |
| A. Department of Science and Technology | A. Department of Science and Technology | A. Department of Science and Technology | A. Department of Science and Technology | A. Department of Science and Technology | A. Department of Science and Technology | A. Department of Science and Technology | A. Department of Science and Technology |
| 1                                       | Andhra Pradesh                          | 5.00                                    | 17.00                                   | 20.00                                   | -                                       | 25.35                                   | 67.35                                   |
| 2                                       | Arunachal Pradesh                       | 134.33                                  | 18.50                                   | 32.00                                   | 28.60                                   | 65.07                                   | 278.50                                  |
| 3                                       | Assam                                   | 62.46                                   | 11.50                                   | 30.00                                   | 37.20                                   | 15.20                                   | 156.36                                  |
| 4                                       | Bihar                                   | 0.00                                    | 20.00                                   | 20.00                                   | 20.00                                   | 20.00                                   | 80.00                                   |
| 5                                       | Chhattisgarh                            | 9.30                                    | 21.30                                   | 39.43                                   | 28.00                                   | 12.00                                   | 110.03                                  |
| 6                                       | Goa                                     | 9.50                                    | 16.70                                   | 10.32                                   | -                                       | 42.48                                   | 79.00                                   |
| 7                                       | Gujarat                                 | 11.50                                   | 29.75                                   | 349.29                                  | 51.50                                   | 15.20                                   | 457.24                                  |
| 8                                       | Haryana                                 | 12.00                                   | 12.00                                   | 25.04                                   | -                                       | 45.49                                   | 94.53                                   |
| 9                                       | Himachal Pradesh                        | 21.69                                   | 30.15                                   | 22.00                                   | 9.60                                    | 24.00                                   | 107.44                                  |
| 10                                      | Karnataka                               | 334.98                                  | 20.00                                   | 171.97                                  | 125.10                                  | 35.00                                   | 687.05                                  |
| 11                                      | Kerala                                  | 258.38                                  | 25.40                                   | 22.00                                   | 119.25                                  | 117.83                                  | 542.86                                  |
| 12                                      | Madhya Pradesh                          | 20.00                                   | 20.00                                   | 20.00                                   | 20.00                                   | 213.22                                  | 293.22                                  |
| 13                                      | Maharashtra                             | -                                       | 16.00                                   | 16.00                                   | 16.00                                   | 20.00                                   | 68.00                                   |
| 14                                      | Manipur                                 | 25.49                                   | -                                       | 12.00                                   | 12.00                                   | 12.00                                   | 61.49                                   |
| 15                                      | Meghalaya                               | 6.00                                    | 16.70                                   | 12.00                                   | 20.30                                   | 17.39                                   | 72.39                                   |
| 16                                      | Mizoram                                 | 172.35                                  | 24.75                                   | 45.13                                   | 12.00                                   | 34.69                                   | 288.92                                  |
| 17                                      | Nagaland                                | -                                       | -                                       | -                                       | 66.28                                   | 24.00                                   | 90.28                                   |
| 18                                      | Punjab                                  | 311.92                                  | 40.39                                   | 186.83                                  | 72.47                                   | 99.69                                   | 711.3                                   |
| 19                                      | Rajasthan                               | 11.00                                   | -                                       | -                                       | -                                       | -                                       | 11.00                                   |
| 20                                      | Sikkim                                  | 285.65                                  | 15.00                                   | 243.64                                  | 52.72                                   | 53.48                                   | 650.49                                  |

| Sl. No.                        | Name of                        | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)   | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)   | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)   | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)   | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)   | Released funds (In Rs. Lakhs)   |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                        | State/UT Council               | FY 2020-21                      | FY 2021- 22                     | FY 2022-23                      | FY 2023- 24                     | FY 2024-25                      | Total                           |
| 21                             | Tamil Nadu                     | 106.04                          | 20.00                           | 186.25                          | -                               | 90.00                           | 402.29                          |
| 22                             | Telangana                      | 11.00                           | 365.42                          | 41.62                           | 142.00                          | 54.41                           | 614.45                          |
| 23                             | Tripura                        | 191.87                          | 12.00                           | -                               | -                               | -                               | 203.87                          |
| 24                             | Uttarakhand                    | 21.82                           | 130.92                          | 56.30                           | 21.04                           | 89.46                           | 319.54                          |
| 25                             | West Bengal                    | 44.60                           | 42.41                           | 92.68                           | -                               | 58.52                           | 238.21                          |
| Sub Total (A)                  | Sub Total (A)                  | 2066.88                         | 925.89                          | 1654.5                          | 854.06                          | 1184.48                         | 6685.81                         |
| B. Department of Biotechnology | B. Department of Biotechnology | B. Department of Biotechnology  | B. Department of Biotechnology  | B. Department of Biotechnology  | B. Department of Biotechnology  | B. Department of Biotechnology  | B. Department of Biotechnology  |
| 1                              | Arunachal                      | -                               | -                               | 20.84                           | -                               | 11.49                           | 32.33                           |
| 2                              | Manipur -                      |                                 | -                               | -                               | -                               | 10.04                           | 10.04                           |
| 3                              | Mizoram -                      |                                 | 53.73                           | -                               | -                               | 29.96                           | 83.69                           |
| 4                              | Nagaland -                     |                                 | -                               | 11.49                           | -                               | -                               | 11.49                           |
| Sub Total (B)                  | Sub Total (B)                  | -                               | 53.73                           | 32.33                           | -                               | 51.49                           | 137.55                          |
| Total (A+B)                    | Total (A+B)                    | 2066.88                         | 979.62                          | 1686.83                         | 854.06                          | 1235.97                         | 6823.36                         |

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