credit - ANI
Govt Approves Major Boost for Scientific Research with ANRF Initiative
The government has approved a key initiative to enhance India’s scientific research by fostering collaboration between top research institutions and universities. These projects will receive full funding from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), a new agency established last year to address gaps in India’s research and development landscape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the first ANRF governing body meeting on Tuesday in his role as its president.
ANRF was created to achieve two primary goals: to significantly increase financial support for scientific research through both public and private sources, and to expand research capabilities across the country, particularly in colleges and universities where research has been limited or non-existent.
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India has around 40,000 higher education institutions, but less than 1% of them are involved in research activities. Most research is concentrated in specialized institutions like the Indian Institute of Science and IITs, unlike in other countries where universities lead research efforts. ANRF aims to change this by creating partnerships between these specialized institutions and universities to carry out joint research projects.
In this hub-and-spoke model, top research institutions will collaborate with three to seven universities on high-priority research areas. The plan envisions 20 such models within five years, involving up to 150 universities in critical research projects.
The ANRF has been allocated Rs 14,000 crore over five years, a significant increase compared to previous funding. Additionally, it aims to mobilize Rs 36,000 crore from private sources, boosting its total budget to Rs 50,000 crore.
With the ANRF board’s approval, research institutions will soon begin identifying university partners and submitting project proposals. The first call for these proposals is expected within a month. Moreover, the governing board has decided to ease restrictions on the use of research funds, allowing greater flexibility to scientists and institutions, particularly in hiring project staff and managing research expenses.
In another significant step, the ANRF also announced a mission-mode program to develop indigenous technologies for electric vehicles through multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary research.
