Question : Research on Artificial Intelligence

(a) whether the Government has made provisions to support educational institutions to work on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to promote research on AI technology;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the funds earmarked and spent for this purpose;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Government is considering any proposals to establish Research and Development (R&D) centres in educational institutions for the study and creation of AI; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES AND
MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)
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(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 395 ON 20/3/2020 REGARDING RESEARCH ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

(a) Yes, Sir.
(b) Government has made the following provisions to support educational institutions to work on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to promote research on AI technology:
i) On 6th December, 2018 Government approved launching of National Mission on Inter-disciplinary Cyber Physical system (NM-ICPS) at a total outlay of Rs 3660 crore for a period of five years to be implemented by Department of Science and Technology (DST). It includes Human Resource Development, promotion of research and technology development and start-ups in AI.
ii) NITI Aayog received the mandate to develop a national program on AI in the Union Budget of 2018–19. Subsequently, NITI Aayog released the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (NSAI) for India in June 2018.
iii) Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) initiated Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics & IT in 2014 with the objective of enhancing the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors with a budget of Rs. 466 crore for 9 years. The scheme encourages PhD Fellows to take up research challenges in emerging technology areas which includes Artificial Intelligence.
iv) National Super Computing Mission (NSM), DST, have recently approved setting of a 2 Peta Flops supercomputing facility for AI at C-DAC, Pune.
v) Science & Engineering Research Board, a statutory body under DST also supports individual-centric research projects in all areas of science and engineering under its various programs/schemes to regular faculty/researchers in academic/research institutions. In the last three years, it has supported 17 projects relating to AI at a cost of Rs. 6.00 crore.
(c) In view of reply to Part (b) question does not arise.
(d) & (e): Yes, Sir. National Mission on Inter-disciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) is to create 25 numbers of Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH) across the country in reputed educational institutes for study and creation of AI and related technologies. These Hubs will connect Academics, Industry, Central Ministries and State Governments in developing solutions. One dedicated Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) on Artificial Intelligence (AI) was provided to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, West Bengal. The activities of each Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) includes technology development, translational research, Development of Human Resource, Start-up eco-system, International collaboration etc.

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