Question : Improvement in Education

(a) the details of the programmes/ schemes run by the Government to promote Research and Development in the field of higher education in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the details of the funds earmarked and expenditure incurred on such programmes/schemes during the last three years and the current year and the programmes made in this field so far;
(d) whether the Government is contemplating to make these schemes/ programmes more comprehensive; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to improve the technical education also?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)to (c): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has informed that it has formulated the following schemes viz. Universities with Potential for Excellence (UPE); Centre with Potential for Excellence in Particular Area; (CPEPA); Special Assistance Programme (SAP); Research Projects; Basic Scientific Research etc. to provide grants to universities for undertaking research and improving its standards. The funds released under these schemes during the last three years and the current year (as on 9th December 2015) is at Annexure.

(d) & (e): The UGC is competent to review these schemes and make amendments in response to the felt needs. In addition to the above schemes, the Government has launched an initiative named IMPacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT) in November 2015 to focus research in higher educational institutions on socially relevant themes. Under this, ten domains have been identified each of which is coordinated by one Indian Institute of Technology (IIT):-

1. Health care: IIT Kharagpur
2. Computer Science and ICT: IIT Kharagpur
3. Advanced Materials: IIT Kanpur
4. Water Resources and River systems: IIT Kanpur
5. Sustainable Urban Design: IIT Roorkee
6. Defence: IIT Madras
7. Manufacturing: IIT Madras
8. Nano-technology Hardware: IIT Bombay
9. Environmental Science and Climate Change: IISc, Bangalore
10. Energy Security: IIT Bombay

Steps are being taken to enhance research funding through an inter-Ministerial effort. By promoting research in areas of importance to Industry, and by setting up (66) Centres of Excellence, Government proposes to promote research further.

The Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented during the XII Plan, also has a component for improving Research and Innovations in Universities and Colleges within a State.

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