Lok Sabha Question No. 5991 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: INSPIRE Scheme
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar, Shri Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Shri Anup Sanjay Dhotre, Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya, Shri Balabhadra Majhi, Shri Anurag Sharma, Dr. Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5991 ANSWERED ON 01/04/2026

## INSPIRE SCHEME

5991. SHRI LAVU SRI KRISHNA DEVARAYALU:

SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:

SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:

SHRI ANUP SANJAY DHOTRE:

DR. BHOLA SINGH:

SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI:

SMT. MAHIMA KUMARI MEWAR:

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

- (a) the  number  of  students  supported  under  various  components  of  the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Scheme during the last three years, State/UT-wise, particularly in Andhra Pradesh including Palnadu district, Odisha including Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency and Bulandshahr district and including Rajasthan;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  expanded  the  programme  to  encourage innovation  and  research  among  school  students  through  initiatives  such  as INSPIRE-MANAK and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of schools and districts covered under the Scheme so far including those in Andhra Pradesh and Palnadu district and those located in Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (d) the  number  of  students  selected  or  benefited  under  INSPIRE-MANAK from Andhra Pradesh, district-wise; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to increase participation of students from rural areas and under-represented groups particularly from districts such as  Palnadu  of  Andhra  Pradesh  and  Nabarangpur  Lok  Sabha  Constituency  of Odisha in scientific research and innovation programmes?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Scheme of  the  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST),  Government  of  India  is  a

national initiative aimed at attracting talented youth to study basic and natural sciences  and  pursue  research  careers  in  areas  such  as  engineering,  medicine, agriculture, and veterinary sciences, thereby strengthening the country's research and development base. The scheme operates through multiple components across different educational stages. INSPIRE-MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) targets students aged 10-17 studying in Classes VI-XII by encouraging innovative ideas and scientific curiosity; schools can nominate up to five students annually through the E-MIAS portal, and selected students receive ₹10,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer to develop and present their projects at district,  state,  and  national  exhibitions.  Scholarship  for  Higher  Education  (SHE) supports talented students aged 17-22 with 12,000 scholarships each year worth ₹80,000 per annum to pursue bachelor's and master's degrees in basic and natural sciences along with mentoring opportunities. At the research level, the INSPIRE Fellowship  supports  outstanding  students  pursuing  PhD  programs  for  up  to  five years with fellowships equivalent to CSIR-UGC NET (₹37,000 per month as JRF and ₹42,000  as  SRF  plus  HRA  and  contingency  grant  of  ₹20,000  per  annum). Additionally,  the  INSPIRE  Faculty  Fellowship  offers  early-career  post-doctoral researchers aged 27-32 a five-year fellowship with ₹1,25,000 per month, annual increments, and a research grant of ₹35 lakh to establish independent research careers  in  basic  and  applied  sciences.  Together,  these  components  create  a continuous  pipeline  to  nurture  scientific  talent  from  school  level  to  advanced research.  The  number  of  students  supported  under  various  components  of  the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Scheme during the last three years, State/UT-wise, particularly in Andhra Pradesh including Palnadu district,  Odisha  including  Nabarangpur  Lok  Sabha  Constituency,  Uttar  Pradesh including Bulandshahr district and including Rajasthan are given below:

|                     | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   |
|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| State & UTs         | 2023- 24        | 2024- 25        | 2025- 26        | 2023- 24      | 2024- 25      | 2025- 26      | 2023- 24             | 2024- 25             | 2025- 26             | 2023- 24                     | 2024- 25                     | 2025- 26                     |
| Andaman and Nicobar | 8               | 20              | 19              | 0             | 0             | 0             | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Andhra Pradesh      | 4530            | 3693            | 3424            | 0             | 2             | 0             | 35                   | 7                    | 22                   | 1                            | 0                            | 6                            |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | 5               | 16              | 5               | 0             | 0             | 0             | 1                    | 2                    | 1                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Assam               | 212             | 100             | 48              | 51            | 48            | 22            | 43                   | 11                   | 42                   | 2                            | 3                            | 4                            |
| Bihar               | 2076            | 1988            | 2041            | 125           | 137           | 195           | 4                    | 1                    | 10                   | 2                            | 0                            | 1                            |
| Chandigarh          | 163             | 69              | 61              | 5             | 1             | 1             | 15                   | 4                    | 12                   | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Chhattisgarh        | 3157            | 2962            | 2165            | 271           | 365           | 256           | 10                   | 7                    | 11                   | 2                            | 0                            | 1                            |

| State & UTs        | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   |
|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| State & UTs        | 2023- 24        | 2024- 25        | 2025- 26        | 2023- 24      | 2024- 25      | 2025- 26      | 2023- 24             | 2024- 25             | 2025- 26             | 2023- 24                     | 2024- 25                     | 2025- 26                     |
| Dadra Nagar Haveli | 24              | 20              | 26              | 0             | 0             | 1             | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Delhi              | 119             | 248             | 321             | 40            | 49            | 38            | 48                   | 26                   | 69                   | 7                            | 8                            | 12                           |
| Goa                | 63              | 56              | 53              | 1             | 3             | 1             | 14                   | 4                    | 16                   | 3                            | 0                            | 1                            |
| Gujarat            | 1109            | 1282            | 1244            | 61            | 62            | 20            | 26                   | 12                   | 28                   | 2                            | 0                            | 7                            |
| Haryana            | 716             | 814             | 1249            | 54            | 37            | 32            | 11                   | 8                    | 11                   | 2                            | 0                            | 3                            |
| Himachal Pradesh   | 437             | 498             | 513             | 115           | 105           | 77            | 10                   | 8                    | 12                   | 1                            | 1                            | 0                            |
| Jammu and Kashmir  | 942             | 992             | 1033            | 28            | 2             | 1             | 25                   | 6                    | 33                   | 2                            | 2                            | 6                            |
| Jharkhand          | 1937            | 1817            | 1160            | 20            | 16            | 3             | 11                   | 4                    | 4                    | 3                            | 3                            | 4                            |
| Karnataka          | 7493            | 6264            | 7758            | 23            | 16            | 7             | 46                   | 26                   | 79                   | 14                           | 11                           | 30                           |
| Kerala             | 479             | 315             | 339             | 294           | 299           | 130           | 45                   | 17                   | 48                   | 4                            | 2                            | 3                            |
| Ladakh             | 25              | 21              | 9               | 0             | 0             | 0             | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Lakshadweep        | 5               | 5               | 8               | 0             | 0             | 0             | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Madhya Pradesh     | 1506            | 2672            | 1421            | 400           | 464           | 596           | 30                   | 10                   | 48                   | 3                            | 2                            | 3                            |
| Maharashtra        | 2149            | 2581            | 2303            | 142           | 120           | 38            | 61                   | 17                   | 57                   | 8                            | 7                            | 15                           |
| Manipur            | 3               | 8               | 5               | 70            | 83            | 56            | 2                    | 2                    | 0                    | 0                            | 1                            | 0                            |
| Meghalaya          | 8               | 21              | 11              | 26            | 33            | 12            | 2                    | 1                    | 4                    | 0                            | 0                            | 1                            |
| Mizoram            | 5               | 7               | 7               | 0             | 12            | 3             | 4                    | 2                    | 4                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Nagaland           | 3               | 5               | 2               | 7             | 6             | 6             | 1                    | 1                    | 0                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Odisha             | 3823            | 3409            | 3755            | 57            | 46            | 46            | 28                   | 6                    | 34                   | 3                            | 2                            | 2                            |
| Puducherry         | 35              | 77              | 71              | 1             | 2             | 0             | 2                    | 3                    | 2                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Punjab             | 566             | 421             | 345             | 49            | 38            | 43            | 33                   | 14                   | 40                   | 2                            | 4                            | 5                            |
| Rajasthan          | 6830            | 6599            | 5720            | 1992          | 2155          | 1541          | 14                   | 1                    | 25                   | 4                            | 0                            | 4                            |
| Sikkim             | 15              | 28              | 28              | 0             | 0             | 0             | 2                    | 2                    | 3                    | 0                            | 0                            | 1                            |
| Tamil Nadu         | 991             | 1197            | 2336            | 16            | 9             | 7             | 63                   | 39                   | 65                   | 5                            | 5                            | 9                            |
| Telangana          | 3054            | 3311            | 2557            | 4             | 24            | 10            | 55                   | 16                   | 56                   | 6                            | 1                            | 9                            |
| Tripura            | 23              | 66              | 97              | 0             | 1             | 0             | 3                    | 0                    | 6                    | 0                            | 0                            | 0                            |
| Uttar Pradesh      | 1940            | 5834            | 7173            | 3297          | 4812          | 5474          | 56                   | 18                   | 64                   | 11                           | 2                            | 15                           |
| Uttarakhand        | 2140            | 1844            | 1386            | 290           | 331           | 248           | 20                   | 10                   | 30                   | 3                            | 0                            | 1                            |
| West Bengal        | 27              | 18              | 31              | 537           | 216           | 182           | 76                   | 20                   | 87                   | 10                           | 4                            | 28                           |
| Kendriya Vidyalaya | 247             | 521             | 898             | -             | -             | -             | -                    | -                    | -                    | -                            | -                            | -                            |

|                           | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   | INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship   |
|---------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| State & UTs               | 2023- 24        | 2024- 25        | 2025- 26        | 2023- 24      | 2024- 25      | 2025- 26      | 2023- 24             | 2024- 25             | 2025- 26             | 2023- 24                     | 2024- 25                     | 2025- 26                     |
| Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti | 61              | 210             | 183             | -             | -             | -             | -                    | -                    | -                    | -                            | -                            | -                            |

The  details  of  number  of  students  supported  under  INSPIRE-MANAK  and INSPIRE-SHE components of INSPIRE Scheme from Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh,  Nabarangpur  Lok  Sabha  Constituency  of  Odisha  and  Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh are given below:

|                            | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-MANAK   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   | INSPIRE-SHE   |
|----------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| State & UTs                | 2023-24         | 2024-25         | 2025-26         | 2023-24       | 2024-25       | 2025-26       |
| Palnadu district (AP)      | 111             | 139             | 163             | 0             | 0             | 0             |
| Nabarangpur Lok            | 149             | 116             | 72              | 0             | 0             | 0             |
| Sabha Constituency, Odisha |                 |                 |                 |               |               |               |
| Bulandshahr district       | 20              | 110             | 140             | 13            | 14            | 7             |

- (b) The  Ministry  has  expanded  its  efforts  to  promote  innovation  and research among school students through initiatives like INSPIRE-MANAK. This programme targets students from Classes 6 to 12, encouraging them to submit original and creative ideas. Selected students receive financial assistance of ₹10,000 to develop prototypes of their ideas. The scheme has been broadened to include a larger number of schools across the country, with a special focus on rural and government institutions to ensure wider access. It provides a wellstructured  platform  where  students  can  showcase  their  ideas  at  district, state, and national levels. Additionally, mentoring support is offered throughout  the  process  to  help  nurture  scientific  thinking,  creativity,  and problem-solving abilities among students.

(c) to (d): The number of students, schools and districts covered across the country under the INSPIRE-MANAK scheme are given below:

| Financial Year   |   No. of students participated |   No. of schools participated |   No. of districts covered |
|------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------|----------------------------|
| 2023-24          |                         854553 |                        224283 |                        719 |
| 2024-25          |                        1013229 |                        253459 |                        723 |
| 2025-26          |                        1147343 |                        274528 |                        729 |

## The number of schools and districts covered under the INSPIRE-MANAK in Andhra Pradesh including Palnadu district are given below:

| Financial Year   | No. of students           | No. of schools   | Districts Covered No. students   | of                                              | No. of schools participated   |
|------------------|---------------------------|------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|                  | participated participated |                  |                                  | participated from Palnadu from Palnadu district |                               |
|                  |                           | 9259             |                                  |                                                 |                               |
|                  |                           |                  |                                  | district                                        |                               |
| 2023-24          |                           |                  |                                  |                                                 |                               |
|                  |                           |                  | 26                               | 1224                                            | 266                           |
|                  | 40365                     |                  |                                  |                                                 |                               |
|                  |                           |                  |                                  |                                                 | 303                           |
|                  |                           |                  |                                  | 1357                                            |                               |
|                  | 39444                     |                  | 26                               |                                                 |                               |
|                  |                           | 9084             |                                  |                                                 |                               |
| 2024-25          | 46285                     |                  |                                  |                                                 |                               |
|                  |                           |                  |                                  | 1821                                            |                               |
| 2025-26          |                           | 10588            | 26                               |                                                 | 417                           |

## The details of number of students selected or benefited under INSPIRE-MANAK from Andhra Pradesh, district-wise including Palnadu district are given below:

| District             |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |   2025-26 |
|----------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Alluri Sitarama Raju |        27 |        23 |        14 |
| Anakapalli           |       126 |       135 |       125 |
| Ananthapuramu        |       141 |       114 |       131 |
| Annamayya            |       294 |       238 |       276 |
| Bapatla              |        81 |        90 |        76 |
| Chittoor             |       407 |       313 |       263 |
| East Godavari        |       137 |       108 |        81 |
| Eluru                |       111 |       144 |       101 |
| Guntur               |       131 |        88 |       121 |
| Kakinada             |       148 |       116 |       107 |
| Konaseema Krishna    |       104 |        77 |        90 |
|                      |       178 |       144 |       115 |
| Kurnool              |       234 |       221 |       169 |
| N.T.R                |       171 |       184 |       163 |
| Nandyal              |       153 |       126 |       124 |
| Nellore              |       260 |       264 |       174 |
| Palnadu              |       111 |       139 |       163 |
| Parvathipuram Manyam |        61 |        65 |        89 |
| Prakasam             |       141 |       130 |       123 |
| Srikakulam           |       265 |       167 |       197 |
| Sri Sathya Sai       |       122 |        71 |        90 |
| Tirupati             |       304 |       214 |       200 |
| Visakhapatnam        |       173 |       107 |        93 |

| District      |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |   2025-26 |
|---------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Vizianagaram  |       269 |       167 |       141 |
| West Godavari |       126 |        83 |        71 |
| YSR           |       255 |       165 |       127 |

The details of number of schools and districts covered under INSPIRE-MANAK from the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency, Odisha are given below:

| Financial YearNo. of students participated   |   Financial YearNo. of students participated |   No. of schools participated |
|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 2023-24                                      |                                         2511 |                           711 |
| 2024-25                                      |                                         2125 |                           555 |
| 2025-26                                      |                                         1564 |                           386 |

(e) The Ministry has implemented several targeted measures to increase the participation of students from rural areas and under-represented groups in scientific research programmes such as INSPIRE-MANAK. To expand outreach, awareness meetings are regularly conducted with State and District Nodal  Officers,  along  with  teacher  training  workshops  to  sensitize  and encourage  schools  to  participate.  A  comprehensive  multimedia  campaign using videos, posters, social media, and email communication has also been launched  to  reach  a  wider  audience,  particularly  in  remote  areas.  These efforts have led to a steady rise in participation, with notable growth from rural regions.  In  addition  to  outreach,  the  Ministry  has  strengthened  support mechanisms for selected students. Each shortlisted student receives ₹10,000 to  develop  a  prototype  of  their  idea.  They  are  also  provided  access  to mentoring and technical support through Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs). Student's progress through structured district, state, and national-level competitions, ensuring continued engagement and exposure. Further, mentoring workshops are organized in collaboration with premier institutions such as IITs and NITs for  students  selected  at  advanced  stages.  State-level  winners  receive financial assistance to refine their prototypes for national-level presentation. At  the  national  level,  students  are  supported  with  incubation  facilities, including patent filing assistance and technical guidance, enabling them to transform their ideas into scalable and socially relevant innovations.

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