| MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT |
| UNSTARRED |
QUESTION NO: |
5069 |
| RESEARCH PERFORMANCE OF ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS |
| PREM DAS RAI |
Will the Minister of
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HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT |
be pleased to state:-
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(a) whether the promotion and enhancement of research and innovation is a key focus area of the 12th Five year plan;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
(c) whether the Government has undertaken any study/constituted a committee to improve research performance of academic institutions and if so, the results/findings thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
(d) whether the Government proposes to encourage the Industry including Public Sector Enterprises to collaborate with Universities to promote research and innovation; and
(e) if so, the details thereof? |
| ANSWER |
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a): Yes, Madam.
(b): The augmentation of research and development infrastructure in the university system is an ongoing endeavour. Rapid changes in scientific and technical fields, the information technology revolution and the process of globalization pose challenges that require continuous upgradation of research facilities.
The Government has taken various measures for the promotion and growth of research in the country. In scientific areas, these include the continuous increase in successive plan allocations for scientific departments, the setting up of new institutions for science education and research, the creation of centres of excellence and facilities in emerging and frontline areas in academic and national institutes, the establishment of new and attractive fellowships, strengthening of the infrastructure of Research & Development (R&D) in universities, encouraging public-private R&D partnerships, the recognition of R&D units and national awards for outstanding R&D for industries etc. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had set up a Task Force for rejuvenation of Basic Scientific Research in Indian Universities under the Chairmanship of Prof. M.M. Sharma, which has now been converted into an Empowered Committee to implement the recommendations of the Task Force.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been providing financial assistance under its Special Assistance Programme (SAP) to university departments to put in place facilities to accelerate research in the country. The UGC is continually taking steps to encourage students to undertake research work. It has started the following schemes for promoting research work in universities: Infrastructure grants to Centre of Advanced Study (CAS)/ Departmental Special Assistance (DSA)/ Departmental Research Support (DRS/Non-SAP Departments), Infrastructure grants to College with Potential for Excellence/ Autonomous Colleges, Minor and Major Research Projects, Infrastructure to National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) Accredited Colleges, Networking Resources Centre, Dr. D.S Kothari Post- Doctoral Fellowship, Research Fellowship in Sciences for Meritorious Students, Basic Scientific Research etc. In addition, the UGC is providing fellowships to those candidates who have qualified the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET)/ UGC-CSIR NET.
MHRD has also launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) namely Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), which inter-alia provides funding under the component Research, Innovation and Quality improvement.
MHRD is also funding research in the Social Sciences and Humanities through its various research councils, viz., the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and the National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI).
(c): The Central Government has constituted an 18 member committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan to drive up the research performance of academic institutions in the country to improve ranking of Indian universities. The committee has had one meeting.
(d) & (e): Yes, Madam. Based on the success of the Research Park at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, two more Research Parks, at IIT- Bombay and IIT - Kharagpur have been approved along with a grant of Rs. 100 crore each. While the initial funding would come from the Government, the research parks would raise resources from the market and generate their own revenues subsequently.
MHRD has also constituted a Council for Industry & Higher Education Collaboration
(CIHEC) headed by HRD Minister, with representatives from IITs, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), National Institutes of Technology (NIT), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) and industry including industry associations such as Confederation of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) and Progress Harmony and Development Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI); private industry and Public Sector Undertaking
(PSUs). CIHEC is envisioned to serve as a professional stakeholder group and identify issues and opportunities and facilitate development of strategies and innovative instruments of collaboration between Industry and Academia and endeavor to mobilize additional resources to support these initiatives. |
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