The Cabinet approved a major overhaul in science and technology funding with the introduction of the ‘Vigyan Dhara’ scheme. This new initiative merges three existing umbrella schemes into a unified central sector program aimed at enhancing science and technology capacity, research, and innovation.
The merger of the Department of Science and Technology schemes into a single scheme would enhance efficiency in fund utilisation and establish synchronisation among the sub-schemes, according to the government.
The scheme comprises three main components: institutional and human capacity building, research and development, and innovation and technology deployment.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that the proposed outlay for Vigyan Dhara is Rs 10,579 crore during the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The Vigyan Dhara scheme is designed to streamline funding and coordination among sub-schemes, aiming to boost science and technology infrastructure across the country. It will support initiatives from school-level projects to higher education, and foster collaboration between academia, government, and industry.
Key objectives include advancing basic and translational research, supporting international collaborations, and increasing the number of researchers. The scheme also focuses on enhancing the participation of women in science and technology to achieve gender parity.
All the programmes proposed under the Vigyan Dhara scheme would be aligned with the five-year goals of the Department of Science and Technology towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, it underlined.
The research and development component of the scheme will be aligned in line with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The implementation of the scheme would follow the globally prevailing yardsticks while in alignment with the national priorities, the government said.
(With PTI inputs)