Miscellaneous Schemes in Science & Technology

INSPIRE – Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research

• Purpose: Build human resource pool for science, strengthen research and expand India’s R&D base.
• Objective: To attract and nurture bright young students to study basic and natural sciences at college and university level.
• Launched: 2017, in partnership with National Innovation Foundation (NIF).
• Aim: Foster a culture of creativity and innovation among youth.
• Components:
  • INSPIRE Internship
  • INSPIRE Fellowship
  • INSPIRE Faculty
  • Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)
  • INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge): A national-level competition for school students to showcase innovative ideas.

👉 In short, INSPIRE = Identifying talent early + Supporting them through scholarships, fellowships, and awards.

UMMID – Unique Methods for Management of Inherited Disorders

• Purpose: Address burden of genetic disorders in India.
• Key Intervention: Establish NIDAN Kendras (National Inherited Disorders Administration Kendras).
• Services provided:
  • Prenatal testing for genetic disorders.
  • New-born screening for treatable genetic metabolic disorders.
  • Genetic counselling for pregnant women with high-risk cases.

👉 UMMID = Genetic testing, early screening, and counselling to reduce genetic disorder burden.

National Biopharma Mission – Innovate in India (i3)

• Purpose: Improve India’s health standards through affordable product development in biopharma.
• Objectives:
  • Product development
  • Skill development
  • Technology transfer
  • Bridging gaps in infrastructure
• Funding: 50% cost-sharing → Government of India + World Bank loan.
• Implementing Agency: Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

👉 This mission ensures India is not only a consumer of pharma but also an innovator and manufacturer of affordable drugs and vaccines

Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network (Biotech-KISAN)

• Objective: Connect science labs with farmers to provide innovative solutions for farm problems.
• Functions:
  • Offers counselling and solutions for water, soil, seeds, and marketing issues.
  • Operates through Biotech-KISAN Hubs at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and scientific institutions.

👉 Biotech-KISAN = Taking lab innovations directly to the farm fields.

Cattle Genomics Programme

• Objective: Predict breeding values of animals at an early age by using DNA-level information.
• Focus: Identifying genetic worth of elite animals more accurately, ensuring better breeding and productivity.

👉 Cattle Genomics = Genomic science applied to animal husbandry for productivity gains.

NM-ICPS – National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems

• Type: Central Sector Scheme.
• Purpose: To develop technology platforms by combining academia, industry, government, and international organizations.
• Focus Areas:
  • R&D, Translational Research
  • Product Development
  • Start-up incubation and commercialization
• Key Institutions: Establishment of Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) in reputed institutions.
• TIHs activities:
  • Technology development & translation
  • Human resource & skill development
  • Entrepreneurship promotion

👉 NM-ICPS = Preparing India for the future of Industry 4.0, with AI, robotics, IoT, and cyber-physical systems.

Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission – UNaTI

• Purpose: Promote nationally relevant biotech innovations.
• Components include:
  • GARBH-ini: Prediction tools for maternal and child health, especially pre-term births.
  • IndCEPI: Development of affordable vaccines for endemic diseases, bio-fortified wheat to support POSHAN Abhiyaan.
  • Mission on Antimicrobial Resistance: Affordable diagnostics and therapeutics.
  • Clean Energy Mission: Innovative technologies for Swachh Bharat.

👉 UNaTI = Biotech solutions for health, nutrition, diagnostics, and clean energy.

SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research)

• Launched by: Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
• Aim: To reduce gender disparity in science and engineering research.
• Support given:
  • SERB-POWER Fellowship (₹15,000/month + ₹10 lakh annual research grant).
  • SERB-POWER Research Grants (up to ₹30 lakh–₹60 lakh for 3 years).
  • SERB Women Excellence Award.

👉 Structured research support to women scientists so they can reach leadership levels in R&D.

IRHPA – Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas

• By: SERB.
• Purpose: Support select areas of fundamental science that are high-priority.
• Features:
  • Creation of specialized units/core groups with world-class labs.
  • Mandatory student training in these facilities.
  • Such labs are named SERB National Facilities, open to researchers across India.

👉 IRHPA = building cutting-edge labs for frontier scientific areas.

SERB-FIRE (Fund for Industrial Research Engagement)

• Aim: Use academic expertise to solve industry-specific problems.
• Model: Industry–Academia partnership, where joint research is done for real-world applications.

👉 SERB-FIRE = bringing scientists and industry together for practical innovation.

VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty) Scheme

• Target group: Overseas scientists and academicians (NRI, PIO, OCI).
• Purpose: Allow them to work in Indian academic institutions for 1–3 months/year.
• Launched under: Industry Relevant R&D (IRRD) Scheme.
• Implementing Agency: SERB.

👉 VAJRA = tapping overseas talent for Indian research growth.

KIRAN – Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing

• Purpose: Encourage women scientists.
• Sub-schemes:
  • Mobility Scheme: Support for working women scientists relocating due to family reasons.
  • WOS (Women Scientist Scheme): Career opportunities/fellowships for unemployed women scientists, especially those with career breaks.

👉 KIRAN = addressing the “career break” problem for women scientists.

CURIE – Consolidation of University Research through Innovation & Excellence in Women Universities

• Aim: Enhance women’s participation in science.
• Support: Development of state-of-the-art labs in Women Universities only.

👉 CURIE = world-class labs dedicated to women universities

Bio-CARe – Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme

• Focus: Women scientists in biotechnology research (up to 55 years).
• Support: Career development for employed/unemployed women in areas like medical, plant, animal, marine biotechnology.

👉 Bio-CARe = empowering women researchers in biotechnology.

Vigyan Jyoti Programme

• Beneficiaries: Girl students of Class 9 to 12 from rural areas, JNVs, KVs, Govt. schools.
• Purpose: Encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM fields where women are underrepresented.
• Activities: Science camps, lectures, counselling sessions.
• Implementing Agency: Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS).

👉 Vigyan Jyoti = inspiring rural schoolgirls towards careers in science & technology.

SUTRA-PIC – Scientific Utilisation Through Research Augmentation Prime Products from Indigenous Cows

• Nature: Inter-ministerial research programme.
• Focus: Uniqueness of indigenous cows, products derived from them for medicine, health, agriculture.
• Ministries involved: CSIR, Ministry of Ayush, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, etc.

👉 SUTRA-PIC = blending traditional cow-based knowledge with modern science.

TARE – Teacher Associateship for Research Excellence

• Objective: Encourage faculty from colleges/universities to take up part-time research at higher institutions.
• Purpose: Bridge the gap between teaching and advanced research.

👉 TARE = enabling college teachers to actively contribute to frontline research.

Research Excellence Mobility Scheme

• Implementing Agency: SERB (Science and Engineering Research Board).
• Eligibility: Indian citizens up to 45 years, holding Ph.D. or equivalent in Science/Engineering/Medicine.
• Support:
  • Fellowship of ₹60,000 per year (in addition to salary).
  • Research grant of ₹5 lakh per annum (shared between host and parent institutions).
• Purpose: Promote mobility of researchers to different institutions, enhancing exposure and collaboration.

👉 Think of it as funding scientists to move and work in new labs for broader research exposure.

AWSAR – Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research

• Aim: To encourage popular science writing among young researchers.
• Target group: Ph.D. scholars and Post-Doctoral Fellows.
• How: By motivating them to write articles, blogs, essays in simple language for the public.
• Organizer: Vigyan Prasar.

👉 The idea is that research should not remain locked in journals, but reach society in simple words.

I-PHEE – Initiative to Promote Habitat Energy Efficiency

• Objective: Improve energy performance of buildings and cities.
• Focus: Knowledge enhancement in design, construction, operation to save energy.

👉 This scheme ensures India’s buildings are energy-efficient and sustainable

Nano Mission (Mission on Nano Science & Technology)

• Aim: To deliver breakthroughs in Nano S&T in a coordinated manner.
• Support: Provides funding to institutions for advanced research in nanotechnology-based applications.
• Beneficiaries: Scientists and academicians.

👉 Nano Mission = India’s dedicated effort to become a global player in nanoscience.

SATHI – Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institute

• Aim: Provide shared, professionally managed labs and facilities for R&D.
• Use: Researchers and students can access these labs round the clock.
• Access Rule: 80% time reserved for external users, 20% for host institute.

👉 SATHI = Centralised mega-labs where everyone gets access, reducing duplication of expensive facilities.

SUPRA – Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement Scheme

• Purpose: Fund high-risk, cutting-edge research that can lead to breakthroughs or disruptive technologies.
• Eligibility: Ph.D. holders in Science, Medicine, Engineering.
• Special Feature: No upper or lower limit for project grant.

👉 SUPRA = Funding ambitious, path-breaking research without budget constraints.

VAIBHAV – Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik Fellowship

• Objective: Connect the Indian STEMM diaspora (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine) with Indian academic and R&D institutions.
• Eligibility: Outstanding scientists/technologists of Indian origin (NRI, OCI, PIO).
• Implementing Agency: DST & Ministry of Science & Technology.

👉 VAIBHAV = Bringing back the brainpower of Indian-origin scientists worldwide to collaborate with India.

Bio-RIDE – Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development

• Purpose: Strengthen India’s biomanufacturing and biotechnology ecosystem.
• Components:
  • Biotechnology R&D
  • Industrial & Entrepreneurship Development
  • Biomanufacturing & Biofoundry (Mission LiFE focus)
• Beneficiaries: Researchers, start-ups, industries, entrepreneurs.
• Tenure: 2021–22 to 2025–26 (15th Finance Commission).
• Benefits:
  • Funding for cutting-edge research
  • Stronger industry–academia collaboration
  • Support for bio-entrepreneurs
  • Sustainable bio-manufacturing practices

👉 Bio-RIDE = Making India a global leader in biotechnology and bio-entrepreneurship.

National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)

Background & Purpose

• Launched in 2015, jointly by the Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY).
• Aim: To provide India with supercomputing infrastructure to meet the growing demand for computational power.

Implementation

• By Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
• Linked through the National Knowledge Network (NKN) → a high-speed network connecting universities and R&D labs.

Coverage & Capacity

• Plan: Deploy 33 supercomputing systems across India.
• Total capacity: 32 PetaFlops.

Benefits

• Applications in:
  • Weather & Climate Modelling
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Material Science
• Beneficiaries: Academia, researchers, MSMEs, start-ups.

👉 NSM = Building an indigenous ecosystem of supercomputers to accelerate India’s R&D.

NIDHI – National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations

Purpose

• An umbrella programme for nurturing ideas and innovations into successful start-ups.

Beneficiaries

• Students, researchers, innovators, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and Technology Business Incubators (TBIs).

Funding & Implementation

• Funding Agency: National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).
• Implementation: Through TBIs across India.

Key Components

1. NIDHI-PRAYAS → Supports young innovators to move from idea to prototype.
2. NIDHI-EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) → Provides fellowships, reduces financial risk for entrepreneurs.
3. NIDHI-TBI → Converts innovations into start-ups.
4. NIDHI-iTBI → Strengthens innovation culture in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
5. NIDHI-Accelerator → Provides fast-tracking support for scaling start-ups.
6. NIDHI-SSS (Seed Support System) → Offers early-stage investment to start-ups.
7. NIDHI-CoE (Centres of Excellence) → Helps start-ups go global.

👉 NIDHI = A complete hand-holding framework: from “idea stage” to “successful global start-up.”

PAIR – Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research Programme

Purpose

• To boost research in central & state public universities by linking them with top institutions using a hub-and-spoke model.

Policy Link

• Aligned with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

How it Works

• Hubs: Top institutions with high NIRF rankings → act as mentors and resource providers.
• Spokes: Central and state universities, NITs, IIITs → benefit from mentorship, resources, and guidance.

👉 PAIR = Bridging the gap between elite institutions and emerging universities to democratize high-quality research opportunities.