Question : Framing Research Policy

(a) whether the Government is aware of the International opinions about India''s great potential to be a scientific power and should increase its investment in basic and fundamental researches;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the areas identified for investments;

(c) whether there is a huge scope for researchers in the field of health such as getting rid of mosquitoes to tackle malaria, research for finding out new vaccines, genetic modification of food crops and the need for strengthening education particularly science education;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government is considering to frame research policy to make India a scientific power; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Union Government in this regard?

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) Yes Madam, the Government is aware of the International opinions about India''s great potential to be a scientific power and the Government is continuously increasing allocation of funds towards Research & Development (R&D) resulting in more investment in basic and fundamental researches.

(b) The plan budgetary allocation of the Ministry of Science and Technology during the last three years and proposed for FY 2017-18 is given as under: -

Departments Funds Allocated
(Rs. in cr)
Plan Plan Plan Proposed for
2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

Department of Science and Technology 2500.00 3401.50 3981.00 4837.27
Department of Biotechnology 1395.00 1606.80 1895.20 2222.11
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 1600.00 2192.50 2297.18 4446.00
Total
Ministry of Science and Technology 5495.00 7199.80 8173.38 11505.38

Accordingly, the plan budgetary allocation of the Ministry of Science and Technology have gone up from Rs. 5495.0 cr in 2014-15 to Rs. 8173.38 cr in 2016-17. The budget proposed for the year 2017-18 is Rs. 11505.38 cr.

Ministry of Science and Technology supports all areas of science, engineering, technology through its various programs/schemes.

© & (d): Yes Madam, realizing the importance of and to alleviate all suffering from vaccine preventable disease, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has been supporting basic research in immunology and indigenous vaccine development. DBT has been encouraging preclinical and clinical development of vaccine against Rotavirus, Cholera, Typhoid, Rabies, Malaria, Dengue and also supporting research and development on genetic modification of food crops.

Recognizing the importance of R&D on the prospects and opportunities for researchers in the field of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Research, Department of Science and Technology (DST) supports collaborative R&D projects with institute and industry as partners to carry out pre-clinical and clinical trial of drugs, and vaccine for various diseases which are affecting the health of Indian population. Also, the ‘Technology Vision 2035’ document highlights the need for being technologically independent in manufacturing of essential life-saving drugs, development of new vaccines for multidrug resistant and newly emerging diseases.

The Ministry of Science and Technology also offers several fellowships to strengthen science education.

(e) & (f): The government is presently not considering to frame any research policy, however in the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy-2013 ''''positioning India among the top five global scientific powers by 2020'''' is indicated as an aspiration.

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