New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) India’s apex research funding body, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), has selected ten Convergence Research Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to promote multidisciplinary research for deep integration of scientific knowledge within social sciences and the humanities, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The initiative seeks to establish pioneering centres that bring together social sciences, humanities, science, and technology to address complex societal challenges through integrated and transdisciplinary research, the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology said.

Selected institutes are IIT Gandhinagar, NIAS Bengaluru, IIT Madras, NIT Agartala, IHD Delhi, IIT Dharwad, IIM Jammu, IIT Kanpur, Chanakya University and PSGR Krishnammal College for Women.

They cover thematic areas ranging from archaeology and traditional knowledge systems to digital humanities, rural development, health and computational economics.

The program requires that each centre involve intra- or interdisciplinary collaboration, either within the same institution or across different academic, publicly funded organisations under various ministries, departments, or private institutions.

The co-PIs associated with these centres represent a diverse network. Collectively, they come from 20 collaborating institutes, which include state universities, central universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), private universities, colleges and recognised R&D institutions, the statement noted.

The program received an overwhelming response from academic and research institutions, with 945 proposals submitted, reflecting its strong relevance and national significance.

By combining scientific depth with contextual understanding, the program aims to address regional and national challenges through holistic approaches. In an era shaped by artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data analytics, such convergence can unlock new pathways for socioeconomic progress and support the Sustainable Development Goals.

The ANRF Convergence Research Centres of Excellence Program draws inspiration from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and is aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

—IANS

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