Question : DST

(a) whether the Government proposes to consider research talent DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship completed & Awardee candidates equivalent to Assistant Professor at UGC;
(b) whether the Government proposes to utilize this large number of unemployed research talent awardees for upliftment of the institutes having poor/ less score in the NIRF, NBA and NAAC Assessment ranking;
(c) whether the Government is aware of or has came across any evidence regarding discrimination cases for the DST INSPIRE Faculty Awardees absorbed in institutions across the country; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps proposed to be taken in this regard?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’)

a) No Sir. The aim of INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship Scheme of Department of Science and Technology (DST) is to enable talented young post-doctoral (post-Ph.D.) scientists, through an attractive fellowship (recently increased from Rs. 80,000/- to Rs. 1,25,000/- p.m.) and a research grant (Rs.7 lakhs per year) to establish themselves as independent researchers so that they could become more competitive for finding academic and/or research positions in various institutions of the country.
b) No Sir. The regular academic/research jobs fall under the domain of various academic/research institutions and appointment against such posts are governed by various institution-specific criteria. To highlight the availability of such talented young scientists for openings in academic/research institutions, DST has already written to heads of all academic and research institutions, where INSPIRE Faculty Fellows are availing their fellowships to consider them for possible regular appointment in their institutions subject to their fulfilling the institutional criteria. DST has also written to Chief Secretaries of all States to consider them for absorption in their respective State academic/research institutions.
c) Department of Science and Technology has informed that INSPIRE Faculty awardees, once absorbed, become regular employees of the institutions, and no discrimination cases have been reported to DST so far after their absorption as regular employees.
d) Does not arise.
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