New Delhi, August 9: Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that “Anusandhan National Research Foundation” will define the stature of India in 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, August 07, 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, adding, “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 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 and 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 Singh said the bill envisages separate competition within the state universities and institutions with separate allocations exclusively for them.
He said the NRF envisaged by PM Modi will catapult us to the league of developed nations pioneering new research in new frontiers. PM Modi has proven how to break silos and work together with the private sector to unlock the vast potential of our unexploited resources, he said.
“PM Modi unlocked the Space sector, today you have Chandrayaan, 160 Startups from the private sector, PM Modi in 2014 amended the Atomic Energy Act and allowed joint ventures, today nuclear power plant coming up at Gorakhpur, Haryana,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the NRF will also throw open new avenues of livelihood, adding that the Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be the administrative Department of NRF which will be governed by a Governing Board consisting of eminent researchers and professionals across disciplines.
