Developing and nurturing
of human resource in Science & Technology has always
been on top of the Government’s agenda. A number
of schemes have been instituted by the Government for
encouraging Young Scientists, and also for nurturing
talented students in the form of SERC Programme for
Young Scientists including BOYSCAST Fellowships and
Fellowships like Swarnajayanthi Fellowships, Shyama
Prasad Mookerjee Fellowships, KS Krishnan Fellowships,
Ramanna Fellowships and J.C. Bose & Ramanujam Fellowships
for practicing young scientists & technologists,
and CSIR programme on Youth for leadership in Science
(CPYLS), Diamond Jubilee Research Interns Award Scheme,
Junior/Senior Research Fellowships (JRF/SRF), Biotechnology
Post Doctoral Research Associateship & Overseas
Fellowships, Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY),
National Science Olympaid Programme etc. for attracting
and retaining young talented students in R&D. In
addition, the young scientists including students have
been exposed to new technologies through schools, workshops
etc. to encourage them to discover and/or experiment
on new technologies including the emerging fields like
nanoscience & nanotechnology, biotechnology etc.
Most of these schemes have been operated in a liberalized
manner from time to time based on the needs of the young
scientists.
In addition, the Government, in the
XI Plan has launched a new scheme called INSPIRE (Innovation
in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research). The main
features of the proposed scheme will be: (1) innovation
funding in schools (one million young innovators); (2)
summer camp with science icons (for high performers);
(3) assured opportunity schemes for proven talent force;
and (4) retention of talent in public funded research
through public-private partnerships. Further, another
new scheme on Scholarships for Science in Higher Education
(SHE) is being initiated in the XI Plan under which
10,000 fellowships of Rs.1,00,000/- per year for bright
students in science streams during their B.Sc/M.Sc courses
would be provided. These initiatives are aimed at generating
interest in youth to conduct more and more research
and produce valuable results.
The Government recognizes that a large
number of scientists go abroad for higher studies and/or
advanced research. A majority of them do come back and
contribute to growth of S&T in the country. The
Government has recently launched some innovative schemes
to either motivate scientists of Indian origin to come
back to India or leverage their scientific expertise
for growth of R&D in the country. Some such initiatives
are the Ramanujan Fellowship and the Collaborative Projects
with Scientists & Technologists of Indian Origin
Abroad Programme (CP-STIO) of DST. K.S. Krishnan Research
Associateship of Department of Atomic Energy, the Ramalingaswamy
Fellowship and the Talent Search Scheme for the Non-Resident
Indians of Defence Research & Development Organization
(DRDO) are some of such schemes.
This information was given by Union
Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences,
Shri Kapil Sibal, in the Lok Sabha today.
Source:
Press Information Bureau Date: March 04, 2008
