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)

India’s National Mission on Nano Science and Technology is a flagship initiative launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. It represents India’s formal commitment to harnessing the potential of nanotechnology.

Aspect	Details
Launched By	Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India
Year of Launch	2007
Mission Concluded	2017
Current Status	Converted to permanent programme: National Programme on Nano Science and Technology (NPNST) under DST
Objective 1	Promote basic research and applied R&D in nanoscience
Objective 2	Develop advanced research infrastructure and facilities
Objective 3	Foster industry-academia collaboration
Objective 4	Build skilled human resources in the field
Objective 5	Encourage international collaborations
Centres of Excellence	Established at IITs, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and other premier institutions
Key Funding	Research projects, fellowships, training programmes, nano-fabrication facilities
Post-2017 Focus	Commercialisation, translational research, maintaining existing Centres of Excellence

👉 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.

National Quantum Mission (NQM)

Note: The National Quantum Mission is India’s recognition that the quantum revolution is not a distant future — it is happening NOW. Countries that lead in quantum technology will lead in defence, finance, cybersecurity, and scientific research. NQM is India’s attempt to be at the frontier, not at the follower’s end.

Aspect	Details
Full Name	National Quantum Mission (NQM)
Launched By	Government of India
Year of Launch	2023
Duration	2023–2031 (8 years)
Implementing Agency	Department of Science and Technology (DST)
Primary Aim	Make India a global leader in quantum technology
Objective 1	Develop quantum computers with 50–1000 qubits capacity
Objective 2	Build secure quantum communication networks across India
Objective 3	Advance quantum sensing and metrology technologies
Objective 4	Promote quantum materials and devices research
Implementation Model	Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) in premier academic and research institutions

Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) — Implementation Structure

Four specialised Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) are now fully functional as Section-8 companies (non-profit structures), acting as central nodes for research and industry collaboration:

Quantum Computing	Quantum Communication	Quantum Sensing	Quantum Materials
IISc, Bengaluru	IIT Madras & C-DOT, New Delhi	IIT Bombay	IIT Delhi

Quantum Valley, Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government announced the launch of India’s first 133-qubit quantum computer in Amaravati in April 2026 — a significant milestone in India’s quantum journey under the National Quantum Mission.