The proposed outlay for Vigyan Dhara is Rs 10,579 crore during the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet Merger of three ongoing umbrella schemes into a unified central sector scheme called ‘Vigyan Dhara’ was approved on Saturday, which seeks to promote scientific and technological capacity building as well as investigation, innovation and technological development.
Merging the Department of Science and Technology schemes into a single scheme would improve efficiency in utilisation of funds and establish synchronisation among sub-plans, the government said.
The plan would strengthen the government’s efforts to promote innovations at all levels, from school level to higher education, and for industries and start-ups through targeted interventions.
Significant support will be provided to increase collaboration between academia, government and also with industries.
The implementation of the plan, according to an official statement, will strengthen the country’s scientific and technological infrastructure by promoting well-equipped research and development laboratories in academic institutions.
The proposed outlay for Vigyan Dhara is Rs 10,579 crore during the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.
The plan has three major components: institutional and human capacity building in science and technology; research and development; and innovation, development and deployment of technology.
The program seeks to promote research in areas such as basic research with access to international mega-facilities, translational research in sustainable energy and water, among others, and collaborative research through bilateral and multilateral international cooperation.
It will also help create a critical pool of human resources to strengthen the scientific and technological landscape and expand the country’s R&D base with the aim of improving the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers.
Specific interventions will be undertaken to enhance women’s participation in the field of science and technology with the ultimate goal of achieving gender parity in science, technology and innovation (STI), she said.
All the programs proposed within the framework of the Vigyan Dhara Scheme would be aligned with the five-year objectives of the Department of Science and Technology to realize the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, he stressed.
The research and development component of the scheme will be aligned with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
The implementation of the plan would follow globally prevailing criteria while being in line with national priorities.
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