• The Union Cabinet approved the merger of three ongoing umbrella schemes into a unified Central Sector Scheme called ‘Vigyan Dhara’ which seeks to promote science and technology capacity building as well as research, innovation and technology development.

• The proposed outlay for ‘Vigyan Dhara’ is Rs 10,579 crore during the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Merger of three schemes

• The Department of Science & Technology (DST) acts as the nodal department for organising, coordinating and promoting science and technology activities in the country. 

• Three central sector umbrella schemes were being implemented by DST towards promoting science, technology and innovation (STI) in the country. 

They were:  

i) Science and Technology (S&T) Institutional and Human Capacity Building 

ii) Research and Development 

iii) Innovation, Technology Development and Deployment. 

• These three schemes have been merged into the unified scheme ‘Vigyan Dhara’.

• The merger of the schemes into a single scheme would enhance efficiency in fund utilisation and establish synchronisation among the sub-schemes.

Expected outcomes of the scheme:

• The scheme would reinforce the efforts of the government towards promoting innovations at all levels, starting from the school level to higher education, and for the industries and startups through targeted interventions.

• Significant support will be extended to increase collaboration between academia, government, and also with industries.

• The implementation of the scheme will strengthen the science and technology infrastructure of the country by fostering well-equipped research and development labs in the academic institutions.

• The scheme endeavours to promote research in areas such as basic research with access to international mega facilities, translational research in sustainable energy and water amongst others and collaborative research through international bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

• It will also contribute to building a critical human resource pool to strengthen the science and technology landscape and expand the R&D base of the country towards improving the full-time equivalent researcher count.

• Focused interventions will be taken up to enhance the participation of women in the field of science and technology with the ultimate goal of bringing gender parity in science, technology and innovation.

• 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.

• The research and development component of the scheme will be aligned in line with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation .

• The implementation of the scheme would follow the globally prevailing yardsticks while in alignment with the national priorities.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)