Lok Sabha Question No. 332 (STARRED), answered on 2015-08-12
Subject: Research and Development Works
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RAGHAV LAKHANPAL

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**LOK SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION NO.332**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 12/08/2015**

**RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORKS**

***332.	SHRI RAGHAV LAKHANPAL:**

**Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**be pleased to state:**

**(a)		the funds earmarked/allocated and utilised for the Research and Development (R&D) projects/works during each of the last three years and the current year by various institutions under his Department;**

**(b)		whether there is any mechanism to monitor the effective utilisation/misuse of the funds;**

**(c)		if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;**

**(d)		the extent to which capacities of universities and R&D institutions in the public sector have been utilised including the number of research projects entrusted to these institutions by the Government during the above period; and**

**(e)		the steps taken by the Government to ensure funds for R&D are utilised optimally and efficiently?**

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES**

**(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)**

**(a) to (e):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House.**

Contd..2/-

**- 2 -**

**STATEMENT AS REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 332 FOR 12/08/2015 REGARDING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORKS**

**(a)		The funds allocated/utilised for the Research and Development (R&D) projects/works during each of the last three years and the current year by various institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology are given below:**

| **Amount in crores**   |                               |                           |
|------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------|
| **Sl. No.**            | **Financial Year**            | **Allocation / Utilized** |
| **1**                  | **2012-13**                   | **2384.03**               |
| **2**                  | **2013-14**                   | **2352.47**               |
| **3**                  | **2014-15**                   | **2407.85**               |
| **4**                  | **2015-16 (Till 31.07.2015)** | **2060.98**               |

**(b) & (c):	The Department has instituted several monitoring mechanisms to monitor and review the projects to ensure timely implementation and effective utilization of funds. This includes financial year-wise review of statement of expenditure and utilization certificates received from the grantee institutions, need based release of subsequent instalments ensuring minimal carry forward of unutilized funds of the previous year; mid-term review of progress by experts in the field, including mid-course corrections, if required to ensure success of the R&D projects within the approved duration. Projects sanctioned under CSIR laboratories have well laid monitoring mechanisms for prompt implementation of projects viz. (i) At laboratory level by respective Research Council; (ii) At the project level by the task force; and (iii) At the cluster level by the Cluster Directors.**

**(d)		The Government has put in several schemes to utilize and enhance the capacities of universities and R & D institutions in public sector. A wide range of research projects including mission mode programmes in strategic areas have been implemented by utilizing the capacities of universities and R & D institutions. This includes projects in diverse areas such as affordable healthcare; agri-food technologies, sustainable energy, engineering structures / design, smart and functional materials, nanomaterials etc. The capabilities of researches in these institutions have been significantly enhanced through planned programmes such as Fund for improvement of S&T infrastructures in universities and higher educational institutions (FIST), Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE), Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE), Research Awards / Fellowships etc. A total of 7289 research projects in various areas of science and technology have been funded to universities and R & D institutions by the Ministry of Science and Technology during 2012-16 (till 31** **st** **July 2015).**

**(e)		The Government has evolved a budget planning strategy of reviewing fund requirement including the recently introduced Public Finance Management System (PFMS) which provides various stakeholders with a reliable and meaningful management information system and an effective decision support system. The fund requirements are reviewed rigorously at multiple levels as specified at (b) & (c) above taking into account the programmatic targets and resource available. The duplication of research efforts as well as the research infrastructure is addressed even at the conceptual level itself by the peer group. These measures ensure funds for R&D are utilized optimally and efficiently and achieve the objectives within the time scales.**

************