Question : Return of Scientists

(a) the details of scientists who returned to work in India during the last five years;

(b) whether the Government has observed any increase or decrease in return during the aforesaid period; and

(c) if so, the details thereof?

Answer given by the minister

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
(SHRI Y.S. CHOWDARY)

(a) to (c): Several scientists have returned to work in India during the last five years. Many of these scientists were working in leading universities and institutions abroad such as University of California, University of Kentucky, Princeton University, Harvard University, University of Alberta, University of Oxford, Max Planck Institutes. Most of the returnees are from USA, Germany, Japan, Canada, IK, Singapore, Italy etc. and India could bring back them through the Schemes of Ministry of Science and Technology namely, Ramanujan Fellowship and Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Faculty Scheme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ramalingaswami re-entry Fellowship of Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has also a scheme to attract Scientists/ Technologists of Indian Origin (STIO) under which they are appointed at an identified CSIR laboratory so as to nurture a research field in their area of expertise. A greater percentage of the scientists are absorbed as faculty in several Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research, Central Universities, and other leading National Laboratories in the country.

There is an increase in number of scientists returned to India under the above schemes in a span of 5 years as evident from the fact that the yearly joining of these scientists has increased from 55 in 2010-11 to 94 in 2014-15. During this period, 171 fellows are supported through Ramalingaswami re-entry Fellowship, 161 fellows through Ramanujan Fellowship and more than 100 scientists from abroad joined constituent laboratories of CSIR. In addition, 306 scientists have been selected from overseas in the INSPIRE Scheme. Recent data of applicants revealed that more scientists want to relocate themselves to Indian Institutes/National R&D Laboratories as these institutions are now providing excellent research facilities to do high quality research.

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