New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) The government has consistently increased the budget allocation for science and research, with the highest allocation made in FY2025-26 since the last five years, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, informed the Parliament on Thursday.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Singh shared that “more than Rs 65,307 crore budget has been allocated to six scientific agencies for research in FY 2025-26″.

In comparison, Rs 41,581.96 was allocated for science and research in 2024-25, and Rs 39,843 crore in 2023-24.

In 2022-23, the government allocated Rs 37,828 crore and in 2021-22, Rs 37,823 crore.

The six major scientific agencies/departments are the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research/ Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR/CSIR), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Department of Space (DOS), the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

“DST bagged the highest (Rs 28,508.90 crore) in FY 26. It was followed by DOS at Rs 13416.20 crore in FY 26,” Singh said. The agencies also received the highest allocations this year since FY 22.

Further, the MoS informed that the government has been implementing several fellowships that offer direct benefits to young scientists and researchers.

Some of the key schemes include INSPIRE fellowship, INSPIRE faculty fellowship, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)-PhD, WISE-Post Doctoral Fellowship (PDF), and the scheme for young scientists and technologists (SYST) programme.

In addition, to provide high-level strategic direction for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the country, the government has established the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) through the ANRF Act of 2023, Singh said.

Under the Act, special provisions have been made towards encouraging the public sector enterprises as well as the private sector entities to invest in the activities of the ANRF.

Recently, “the government launched the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) scheme with a financial pool of Rs 1 lakh crore over five years. This RDI scheme led by DST aims to encourage participation of the private sector in sunrise sectors, driving growth and innovation,” Singh said.

Singh also informed about the steps taken by the government to enhance private sector participation in research and development in the country.

The key efforts include incentivising investment by the private sector to increase their share in GERD; creating avenues for collaborative STI funding through portfolio-based funding mechanisms such as public-private-partnerships and other innovative hybrid funding mechanisms, the Minister said.

–IANS

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