Lok Sabha Question No. 2703 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-07
Subject: Procurement of Research Equipment
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B, Shri Vijayakumar Alias Vijay Vasanth

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2703 ANSWERED ON 07/08/2024

## PROCUREMENT OF RESEARCH EQUIPMENT

## 2703. SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH:

SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  research  equipment  procurement  proposals  submitted  to  the Government during the last three years and the number out of these approved and denied respectively;
- (b) the criteria or guidelines being followed by the Government while evaluating proposals for the purchase of research equipment;
- (c) the details regarding the breakdown of the types of research equipment for which purchases have been restricted or denied during the last three years;
- (d) the  total  budget  allocation  for  research  equipment  procurement  by  the Government during each of the last three fiscal years and the manner in which this is being/has been compared to previous years;
- (e) whether  the  Government  ensures  that  restrictions  or  denials  of  research equipment  procurement  do  not  hinder  scientific  research  and  innovation  in  the country; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Government  to  support the  development  and manufacturing of research equipment within the country to reduce dependence on imports?

## ANSWER

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

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्ितंत्र प्रभार) (डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह)

- (a) The Ministry of Science and Technology fosters the development of research infrastructure including research equipment procurement across the country through various schemes, including the Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST), Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE), Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF), Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes  (SATHI)  of  Department  of  Science  and  Technology(DST)    and  Research Resource Service Facility and Platform (RRSFP) scheme  of Department of Biotechnology(DBT).  The  number  of  research  equipment  procurement  proposals submitted and approved by the Government during the last three years is as follows:
- 
- DST has recommended 330 proposals out of 2,188 received.

-  DBT has recommended 18 proposals out of 303 received.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an autonomous body under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) receives government grants  to  support  its  R&D  activities,  including  the  procurement  of  research equipment.  It  does  not  support  to  other  autonomous  bodies  excepts  its  own laboratories.

- (b) These proposals are evaluated based on competitive grants, with eligibility and alignment to the scheme's mandate as key criteria.
- (c) No cases of breakdown of the research equipment have been reported so far for which purchases have been restricted or denied during the last three years.
- (d) The internal total budget allocation for these schemes under the Ministry during the last three financial years Department wise is as follows:

| Departments   |   Budget allocated (Rs. in Crore) |
|---------------|-----------------------------------|
| DST           |                             766.6 |
| CSIR/DSIR     |                            1155.2 |
| DBT           |                              75   |

There  has  been  an  increase  in  budget  allocation  for  procurement  of  research equipment compared to previous years.

- (e) There  are  neither  any  restrictions  of  research  equipment  procurement  nor Government  hinders  scientific  research  and  innovation  in  the  country.  Rather, Government  is  committed  to  foster  innovation  and  support  the  development  of research equipment within the country through various schemes.
- (f) Government has taken various steps to promote innovation and translational research  in  the  Country.  The  National  Initiative  for  Developing  and  Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) program of DST, supports innovation, startups, and incubation through various components including financial support for prototype development. DST has established five Technical Research Centres in its five autonomous bodies for translational research and many of the products developed through these centres have been transferred to industries.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) actively develops the stateof-the-art  incubation  facilities  and  supports  entrepreneurs,  startups,  and  MSMEs. CSIR has established Incubation Centers and Common Research and Technology Development Hubs (CRTDHs) to advance industrial  R&D  and  support  MSMEs  and individual innovators.

The  Department  of  Biotechnology,  through  the  Biotechnology  Industry  Research Assistance  Council  (BIRAC),  encourages  startups  and  innovators  to  undertake translational research and develop affordable technologies. products & technologies for  public  at  large.  BIRAC  schemes  encourage  setting  up  of  biotech  enterprises. Support  is  extended  for  mentoring,  funding,  validation/pilot  testing  of  startup innovations and investor connect for the startups in biotechnology domain.

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