Lok Sabha Question No. 2610 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-05
Subject: Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: PRATHAP SIMHA

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2610**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 05/08/2015**

**TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION, FORECASTING AND ASSESSMENT COUNCIL**

**2610.	SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:**

**Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó Ùðüëðó**

**be pleased to state:**

**(a)		whether the Government has constituted the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC);**

**(b)		if so, the details thereof along with the aims and objectives of the said council;**

**(c)		whether the National Innovation Foundation—India (NIF) has been able to meet its objectives, if so, the details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year;**

**(d)		if not, the reasons therefor; and**

**(e)		the steps taken by the Government in this regard?**

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES**

**(SHRI.Y. S. CHOWDARY)**

**òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó +ÉÉè® ÑðöÆãðó òãðìððÐð ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó**

**(gÉÉÒ ´ÉÉ<Ç. AºÉ. SÉÉèvÉ®ÉÒ)**

**(a)		Yes, Madam.**

**(b)		Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) was created as an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology in February, 1988. The main functions of TIFAC are to examine and evaluate state-of-the-art technologies and directions of future technological developments in various sectors of economy, both in India and abroad and prepare Technology Forecasting Reports, Technology Impact Statements and identify priorities for undertaking indigenous Research and Development (R&D) activities.**

**(c)		Yes Madam. The National Innovation Foundation –India (NIF-India) works on original technological ideas, innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge of the people from the informal sector having less or no exposure to formal education system. For meeting its objectives, NIF-India organizes National Campaigns and scouts for ideas/innovations/traditional knowledge, validates and adds value to the same and helps generate Intellectual Property out of the grassroots innovations. In the last three years and the current year so far, NIF-India has made**

Contd..2/-

**- 2 -**

**great strides in achieving its objectives which are summarized in the Table below:-**

| **Success Indicators**                                                                                                                                                                                         | **Actual Value for FY 2012-13**   | **Actual Value for FY 2013-14**   | **Actual Value for FY 2014-15**   | **Actual Value for FY 2015-16 (till 30/06/15)**   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| **Number of National Campaigns for scouting of ideas and innovations**                                                                                                                                         | **3**                             | **2**                             | **2**                             | **2**                                             |
| **Number of ideas/innovations/traditional knowledge scouted**                                                                                                                                                  | **22000**                         | **20470**                         | **20000**                         | **8000**                                          |
| **Grassroots innovations validated/value added**                                                                                                                                                               | **240**                           | **335**                           | **244**                           | **93**                                            |
| **Marketing rights/Licensing undertaken**                                                                                                                                                                      | **5**                             | **14**                            | **18**                            | **---**                                           |
| **IPR related-successful filing of patents (Provisional Specifications/ Complete Specifications), design registrations, trademarks, filing References for Examination, response to First Examination Reports** | **100**                           | **119**                           | **135**                           | **107**                                           |

**(d) & (e):  Do not arise.**

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