Lok Sabha Question No. 5252 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research Scheme
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Tapir Gao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5252 ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## INNOVATION IN SCIENCE PURSUIT FOR INSPIRED RESEARCH SCHEME 5252. SHRI TAPIR GAO:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  been  implementing  the  Innovation  in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Scheme in the country;
- (b)
- if so, the objectives and salient features of the INSPIRE scheme; and
- (c) the details of the number of students selected from the States/Union Territories under the said scheme?

## 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): Yes Sir. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is implementing Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) scheme  to  attract,  nurture  and  retain  meritorious  youth  to  study  natural sciences areas at the college and university  level  and  to  pursue  research careers  in  both  basic  and  applied  science  areas  including  engineering, medicine, agriculture and veterinary sciences. The ultimate objective is to expand the R&D base of the country. It is implemented on pan India scale through four components. INSPIRE scheme's component-wise salient features are given below:

INSPIRE Internship component of INSPIRE aims at providing exposure to the top 1% students at Class X Board level by organizing Science Camps either during  summer or winter and provide opportunity to them to interact with science icons from India and abroad, including Nobel Laureates, to experience the joys of scientific pursuit. These science camps nourish the curiosity of students in science, help them to think out-of-the box and attract

students at an early age of 16-17 years to choose science subjects for further studies.

Scholarship  for  Higher  Education  (SHE)  component  of  INSPIRE  aims  to enhance  the  rate  of  attachment  of  talented  youth  to  undertake  higher education  in  science  intensive  programs  by  providing  scholarships  and mentorship support. The scheme offers 12,000 scholarships of 5-year duration @ Rs 0.80 lakh per year to undertake Bachelor and master's level education in basic and natural Sciences area for the top 1% talented youth as per central and state education board data in the age group 17-22 years.

INSPIRE Fellowship component of INSPIRE aims to provide fellowship to M.Sc. 1 st  Rank holders in Basic & Applied Sciences including engineering, medicine, agriculture, veterinary at the University/academic  institute of national importance  i.e.  IITs,  NITs,  IISERs  level  examination  as  well  as  Inspire Scholars having secure 70% marks in aggregate at the MSc level who are eligible  for  admission  to  the  Ph.D.  program  in  any  recognized  university/ academic institutions in the country every year. The Fellowships are tenable for maximum 5 years (2 years as JRF @ Rs.37000/pm + HRA + Contingency grant  of  Rs.20000/annum  and  3  years  as  SRF  @  Rs.42000/pm  +  HRA  + Contingency grant of Rs.20000/annum) or completion of PhD, whichever is earlier to pursue full-time Ph.D. program. Maximum 1000 INSPIRE Fellowships per year are tenable.

INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship component of INSPIRE aims to provide opportunities to post- doctoral researchers in the age group of 27-32 year (the upper  age  limit  for  SC/ST/Women  candidates  and  persons  with  benchmark disabilities  is  37  and  42  years  respectively)  for  5  years  in  both  basic  and applied  sciences  area  including  engineering,  agriculture,  veterinary  and medicine every year. Aspirants having Ph.D. degree with strong academic and research  track  record  are  considered  on  competitive  basis.  It  grants  an attractive fellowship for a duration of 5 years with a consolidated emolument of  Rs.  1,25,000/-  p.m.  with  annual  increment  of  Rs.200  per  annum  and  a research grant of Rs.7 lakh per annum.  This scheme has motivated young researchers  to  pursue  high-quality  post-Ph.D.  research  within  the  country. Maximum 150 INSPIRE Faculty Fellowships per year are tenable.

- (c) The details of the number of students selected from the States/Union Territories during 2024-2025 till 27.03.2025 under the said scheme are given below:

|   S. No. | State/UT          |   INSPIRE- Internship |   INSPIRE- SHE |   INSPIRE- Fellowship |   INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------|----------------|-----------------------|------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh    |                   530 |              5 |                    11 |                            0 |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh |                     0 |              0 |                     2 |                            0 |
|        3 | Assam             |                     0 |             84 |                    24 |                            4 |
|        4 | Bihar             |                     0 |            172 |                     6 |                            1 |
|        5 | Chandigarh        |                     0 |              3 |                    10 |                            0 |
|        6 | Chhattisgarh      |                   150 |            421 |                    13 |                            0 |
|        7 | Delhi             |                   200 |             61 |                    53 |                            8 |
|        8 | Goa               |                     0 |              6 |                    10 |                            0 |
|        9 | Gujarat           |                   350 |             93 |                    21 |                            0 |
|       10 | Haryana           |                     0 |             66 |                     7 |                            1 |
|       11 | Himachal Pradesh  |                   450 |            138 |                     7 |                            1 |
|       12 | Jammu and Kashmir |                   150 |              2 |                    21 |                            3 |
|       13 | Jharkhand         |                     0 |             23 |                     5 |                            3 |
|       14 | Karnataka         |                   150 |             60 |                    46 |                           16 |
|       15 | Kerala            |                   150 |            376 |                    31 |                            3 |
|       16 | Madhya Pradesh    |                     0 |            573 |                    28 |                            2 |
|       17 | Maharashtra       |                   200 |            198 |                    34 |                            8 |
|       18 | Manipur           |                     0 |            138 |                     2 |                            1 |
|       19 | Meghalaya         |                     0 |             49 |                     1 |                            0 |
|       20 | Mizoram           |                     0 |             13 |                     4 |                            0 |
|       21 | Nagaland          |                     0 |              9 |                     1 |                            0 |
|       22 | Odisha            |                     0 |            108 |                    23 |                            2 |
|       23 | Puducherry        |                     0 |              2 |                     3 |                            0 |
|       24 | Punjab            |                   550 |             61 |                    30 |                            2 |
|       25 | Rajasthan         |                     0 |           2879 |                     9 |                            0 |
|       26 | Sikkim            |                     0 |              0 |                     2 |                            0 |
|       27 | Tamil Nadu        |                   975 |             44 |                    59 |                            6 |
|       28 | Telangana         |                   450 |             31 |                    36 |                            4 |
|       29 | Tripura           |                     0 |              3 |                     1 |                            0 |
|       30 | Uttar Pradesh     |                  1200 |           5374 |                    40 |                            4 |
|       31 | Uttarakhand       |                   400 |            387 |                    22 |                            0 |
|       32 | West Bengal       |                   350 |            362 |                    52 |                            9 |

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