Lok Sabha Question No. 5041 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Daggumalla Prasada Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5041

ANSWERED ON 23/03/2026

## Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)

5041. Shri Daggumalla Prasada Rao:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the number of universities that have submitted proposals under the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), phase-wise and State-wise;

(b) the details of the number of proposals approved under SPARC, phase-wise and State-wise;

(c) the details of funds sanctioned and released for SPARC projects, State-wise and phase-wise along with amounts utilised under the scheme;

(d) the details of the number of collaboration projects undertaken under SPARC, including interinstitutional, international and industry linkages, State-wise;

(e)  the  details  of  the  outcomes  of  such  collaborations,  including  research  publications,  patents filed,  technology  transfers,  student/faculty  mobility  and  any  tangible  socio-economic  impact therefrom; and

(f) the measures taken by the Government to enhance outreach to universities, improve the quality of proposals and ensure timely execution and monitoring of SPARC collaborations?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a)  to  (f):  The  Scheme  for  Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) was launched on 28th October 2018 with an aim to improve the research ecosystem of India's Higher Education Institutions, with a budget outlay of Rs. 418 cr for the period 2018-19 to 2019-20. Due to COVID constraints, Phase - I projects were extended till September 2023. The scheme was further extended with SFC approval in December 2021 with additional budget outlay of Rs. 425.2 crores for a five year period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Out of the total allocated budget of Rs 843.2 crore, projects worth Rs. 600.65 crores have already been sanctioned till 05.03.2026 under SPARC scheme.

The  scheme,  inter-alia,  facilitates  joint  research  projects  between  top  Higher  Educational Institutions  (HEIs) and the best foreign institutions on 12 themes of national and international importance. Since its inception, four phases of SPARC have been launched, with 865 joint research projects so far awarded, out of which 392 have been completed and 473 are ongoing.

Significant achievements under SPARC include:

- (i) visit of 850 foreign faculty to India and 150 Indian faculty members abroad for research and conducting courses, as well as training programmes and workshops, as part of their respective approved project;
- (ii) visit of 700 Indian students abroad and 150 foreign students to India for training and experimentation;
- (iii) organization of 967 workshops and 50 international conferences on SPARC identified themes;
- (iv) publication of 267 monographs and bringing out 1,700 journal publications, grant of 17 patents;
- (v) successful culmination of a SPARC project jointly undertaken by NIT, Tiruchirappalli and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil into an Indian startup "SWACHATA VIDYUT" focusing on plasma based gasification to convert various waste streams into value added energy products.

With a view to expand outreach of SPARC among Indian universities, the Government has opened the 'call for proposals under SPARC' round the year. Further, seminars, documentation of success stories, publications, social media outreach activities are also undertaken on periodic basis for greater outreach. Recently, a National SPARC Conclave was organized during 8 & 9 March 2026  at  IIT  Kharagpur  Research  Park,  Kolkata  bringing  together  key  stakeholders  to  review progress and share best practices under SPARC.

Details of SPARC sanctioned projects phase and state wise is attached as Annexure.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  TO  (F)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NUMBER  5041  FOR  23.03.2026  REGARDING  'SCHEME FOR PROMOTION OF ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH COLLABORATION (SPARC)' ASKED  BY  SHRI  DAGGUMALLA  PRASADA  RAO,  HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF  LOK SABHA

| Phases                                                                            | Projects Approved                 | State-wise approved proposals                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Phase I (2018-23)                                                                 | 392 projects                      | Assam(12), Bihar(3), Chandigarh(4), Chhattisgarh(1), Delhi(41), Gujarat(16), Haryana(6), Himachal Pradesh(10), Jharkhand(2), Karnataka(23), Kerala(10), Madhya Pradesh(13), Maharashtra(26), Odisha(12), Puducherry(6), Punjab(4), Rajasthan(12), Tamil Nadu(80), Telangana(19), Uttar Pradesh(28), Uttarakhand(15), West Bengal(49)                   |
| Phase II (2023-25 extended till March, 26)                                        | 232 projects (2 Projects dropped) | Andhra Pradesh(3), Assam(6), Bihar(3), Chhattisgarh(3), Delhi(21), Goa(6), Gujarat(1), Haryana(2), Himachal Pradesh(1), Jharkhand(2), Karnataka(16), Kerala(13), Madhya Pradesh(7), Maharashtra(16), Meghalaya (1), Mizoram (4), Odisha(4), Punjab(8), Rajasthan(5), Tamil Nadu(31), Telangana(25), Uttar Pradesh(24), Uttarakhand(7), West Bengal(21) |
| Phase II B (2024-26)                                                              | 30 projects                       | Andhra Pradesh(3), Assam(1), Delhi(2), Jammu and Kashmir(1), Himachal Pradesh(1), Karnataka(2), Kerala(2), Madhya Pradesh(1), Maharashtra(2), Tamil Nadu(5), Telangana(4), Uttar Pradesh(1), Uttarakhand(3), West Bengal(2)                                                                                                                            |
| Phase III (2024-26)                                                               | 133 projects (1 project dropped)  | Assam(2), Delhi(11), Goa (3), Gujarat(2), Haryana(1), Himachal Pradesh(1), Karnataka(9), Kerala(5), Madhya Pradesh(6), Maharashtra(4), Odisha(7), Punjab(6), Rajasthan(8), Tamil Nadu(16), Telangana(14), Uttar Pradesh(7), Uttarakhand(10), West Bengal(20)                                                                                           |
| Phase IV [ SPARC- GIANT [(German Indian Academic Network for Tomorrow)] (2025-26) | 12 projects                       | Delhi(2), Gujarat(1), Karnataka(1), Kerala(3), Madhya Pradesh(1), Uttar Pradesh(1), Uttarakhand(2), West Bengal(1)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| Phase IVA (FY 2025- 26)                                                           | 66 projects                       | Assam(1), Chhattisgarh(3), Delhi(3), Gujarat(2), Himachal Pradesh(2), Jammu and Kashmir(3), Karnataka(4), Kerala(7), Madhya Pradesh(1), Odisha(3), Punjab(2), Rajasthan(3), Tamil Nadu(16), Telangana(5), Uttarakhand(2), West Bengal(9)                                                                                                               |

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