Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that “Anusandhan National Research Foundation” will define the stature of India at 2047.
Replying to the discussion on “Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023” in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Anusandhan Act will pave the way for India to join the select league of developed nations.
The House later passed the Bill with a Voice vote. It had been earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday, 7th August 2023.
“This is a Bill which is going to have a long-term effect, long term outcomes and all of us, each citizen of India, including those sitting on the other side, are going to be stakeholders. To that extent, this is possibly history in making,” he said.
The Bill will provide high level strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship in the fields of natural sciences including mathematical sciences, engineering and technology, environmental and earth sciences, health and agriculture.
The Minister said, it will also promote scientific and technological interfaces of humanities and social sciences to promote, monitor and provide support as required for such research and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the Bill will hike the R&D spending in the country. The Executive Council of NRF is mandated not only to monitor the progress of the different projects but also to analyse the accountability of the funding at different level stages.
“(It envisages spending of) Rs. 50,000 crore for five years, out of which Rs. 36,000 crore, almost 80%, is going to come from non-government sources, from industry & philanthropists, from domestic as well as outside sources,” he said.
Clarifying that the Bill takes care of State Universities and Institutions by earmarking separate funds, Dr Jitendra Singh said the bill envisages separate competition within the State Universities and Institutions with separate allocation exclusively for them.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the NRF envisaged by PM Modi will catapult us to the league of developed nations pioneering new research in new frontiers.
“Ever since Prime Minister Modi took over in 2014, he has, one after the other, taken a number of path-breaking decisions, broken several taboos of the past in order to liberate India of those self-made barriers so that we could have a global role. And he envisaged for ourselves the Amrit Kaal next 25 years. Obviously we have to live up to global parameters and that is possible only if we have the same level of competitiveness as other countries,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said PM Modi has proven how to break silos and work together with the private sector to unlock the vast potential of our unexploited resources.
The Act will pave the way to establish NRF that will seed, grow and promote Research and Development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.
The Act will establish NRF, an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), at a total estimated cost of Rs. 50,000 crores during five years (2023-28).
Follow our WhatsApp channel
