Department of Science and Technology Year End Review 2024

Department of Science and Technology Year End Review 2024

India secured 39th position in Global Innovation Index among the top innovative economies globally as per Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024. As per WIPO Report 2023, India is ranked at 6th position in terms of intellectual property (IP) filings in the world. India improves its ranking to 49th position (2024) from 79th position (2019) as per Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2024 report. NRI is one of the leading global indices on the application and impact of information and communication technology (ICT) in 133 economies around the world.

ANRF (Anusandhan National Research Foundation) has been established by ANRF act 2023. The provisions of the ANRF Act, 2023 came into force on 5th February, 2024. ANRF represents India’s pioneering efforts to unleash Indian research and innovation talent to achieve global scientific and technological excellence.

The first meeting of the Executive Council of ANRF was held under the Chairmanship of Prof. Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India on August 22, 2024. Afterwards, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the first meeting of the Governing Board of Anusandhan National Research Foundation on 10^th September, 2024. The meeting focussed on discussion about India’s Science and Technology landscape and redesigning of research and development programmes.

Below are the recent initiatives taken under ANRF:

Further, roadmap for short term, medium-term and long-term research and development programmes are being developed. This will covers different program in sectoral areas; program related to Translational Research and Innovation (ATRI); establishing the ANRF Centers of Excellence (ACE); program related to support the basic Research; frameworks for international collaboration with similar institutions like the National Science Foundation, European Research Council, French National Research Agency, etc. and ANRF Research Centers to pursue interdisciplinary research at the interface of science, engineering and humanities and social sciences for addressing societal challenges as well as undertaking research on public policies.

The Union Cabinet, approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) at a total cost of Rs.6003.65 crore for a period of eight years, aiming to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology.

So far, four Thematic Hubs have been established under NQM, each dedicated to a specific technology vertical: (i) Quantum Computing at IISc. Bengaluru, (ii) Quantum Communication at IIT Madras in association with C-DOT, New Delhi, (iii) Quantum Sensing & Metrology at IIT Bombay; and (iv) Quantum Materials & Devices at IIT Delhi.

These T-Hubs comprises of 14 Technical Groups having 17 Project Teams across 17 states and 2 Union Territories. These hubs bring together a total of 152 researchers from 43 institutions, including 31 Institutes of National Importance, 8 research laboratories, one university and 3 private institutes. This initiative reflects the nation’s collective ambition to lead in the rapidly evolving field of quantum technologies focussing on technology development, human resource development, entrepreneurship and international collaborations in their respective technology verticals.

NQM has prepared guidelines to support and nurture start-ups in the area of quantum technologies. These comprehensive guidelines outline a clear roadmap for start-ups to access resources, funding, mentorship and infrastructure support.

Further, establishment of Technical Group on Quantum Algorithms, creation of Centralized facilities under NQM, Curriculum on Quantum Computing and Technologies are being tentatively planned.

It is tentatively planned to include five more states under the spatial thinking initiative along with a national event for networking and showcasing the learnings from Geospatial spatial thinking program. In addition, a white paper on geospatial capacity building aligning to the NGP 2022 is being planned to release, and a financial support will be provided to recommended consortium project proposals to develop innovative solutions utilizing geospatial tools and techniques.

The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System (NM-ICPS) aims at development of technology platforms to carry out R&D, translational research, product development, incubating & supporting startups as well as commercialization. Total 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) have been established in the areas of advanced technologies which includes: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Robotics, Cyber Security, Data Analytics & Predictive Technologies, Technologies for Agriculture & Water, Technologies for Mining, Advanced Communication Systems, Quantum Technologies etc. Each TIH is created as a Section-8 Company, an independent entity within the Host Institute with the involvement of industry as potential members for co-development, partnerships and for commercialization. The following are the key achievements in the current year;

Third-party evaluation of TIH, Up-gradation of four best performing among these to Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRPs), and a focus on new emerging verticals like GenAI, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 5G & beyond etc. are being tentatively planned in the coming year.

Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, GoI is mandated to formulate and deliver public policy support for the empowerment of STI in the country. To build and strengthen an institutional mechanism for a robust evidence-driven STI policy system in India, several DST-Centre for Policy Research (CPR) have been established and strengthened in various academic institutions across the country. These Centres are engaged in targeted research in a number of key areas relevant to the country, train scholars in STI policy domain, and contribute towards better STI policy making. In addition to that, to generate a critical mass of policy professionals/researchers, DST has been supporting a STI Policy Fellowship Programme (DST-STI PFP). The DST-STI PFP provides scientists, engineers and policy enthusiasts, an opportunity to gain exposure from the close quarters of policy making and contribute their knowledge and analytical skills in the STI policy realm. The fellowship provides an opportunity to develop the skills for young professionals who are interested to engage with the STI policy domain and/or as STI policy researchers contributing towards empowerment of STI policy landscape in the country. Currently, total 9 CPRs, out of which 8 CPRs are ongoing and one has newly established to carry out policy research in different STI domains.

This Mission is jointly implemented by Meity and DST, and had created 27 Peta Flop(PF) of computing capacity at 28 sites across the country till 2023. This year NSM has commissioned five supercomputing systems based on indigenously developed Rudra server. Among these systems, three of them have been dedicated to nation by Hon’ble PM in Sep. 2024. The system at Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi is the biggest among them with a total computing power of 3 Peta flop. The other two notable systems dedicated to nation having a computing capacity of 1 PF and 833 Tera Flop functioning at NCRA-Pune and SN Bose Insitute-Kolkatta. In 2024 additional 5 PF of computing has been added with the exceeding infra of 27 PF, thereby the NSM has created so far a total capacity of 32 PF.

In the coming calendar year, additional ~45 PF of computing infrastructure creation is envisaged using indigenously developed server and technologies.

The Department has been implementing two National missions on Climate Change. These are (a) National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and (b) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC). Both the missions aim to build human and institutional S&T capacities, generate strategic knowledge and create awareness in the key areas of climate change science, impacts and adaptation. During the current year 2023;

The Department nurtures 25 Autonomous Institutions (AIs). These include 16 research & development institutions, 04 specialized knowledge and S&T service organizations, 05 professional bodies. Some of the key achievements during the year-2024 include:

In the coming year, the FIST program aims to identify 100 departments, including postgraduate colleges, while the PURSE program focuses on selecting 6-7 universities.

Department of Science and Technology (DST) has been implementing the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) Program with the focus on nurturing start-ups and individual innovators. Several initiatives have been taken for the development of instruments/devices/technologies at various R&D institutions such as;

In the coming year, the following activities are being tentatively planned;

Science for Equity Empowerment and Development (SEED) in DST provides support for action-oriented and location-specific projects aimed at the socio-economic development of disadvantaged sections of society through appropriate interventions of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI).

Through its various components; Scheme for Young Scientist and Technologist (SYST) Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE) Strengthening, Upscaling & Nurturing Innovations for Livelihood (SUNIL), Science & Technology for Women (STW), Support to State S&T Councils, Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) respectively, around 100 new projects have been supported to improve the quality of life and livelihood. During the current year-2024, the followings are the key achievements:

In the coming year, establishment of Science & Technology Council in Ladakh, establishment of Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Hubs, establishment of Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Cells in State Science & Technology Councils for mapping (gathering) information on livelihood systems, to support new proposals addressing location specific needs of vulnerable sections of society through inputs of S&T are being tentatively planned.

In the coming year-2025, the following activities are being planned tentatively;

In the coming year-2025, the following activities are being planned tentatively;

 

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is a flagship scheme of the department for attraction of talent to science. The objective of INSPIRE Programme is to attract meritorious youth to study basic and natural sciences at the college and university level, pursue research careers in both basic and applied science areas including engineering, medicine, agriculture and veterinary sciences and thus, build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science & Technology system and R & D base of the country. During the year 2024;

In the coming year-2025, the inclusion of students of Class 11 and 12 under INSPIRE – MANAK Scheme from year 2025 is being planned.

Department is implementing the National GLP Compliance Monitoring Programme for certification of Indian Test Facilities/laboratories, conducting non-clinical health and environment safety studies in accordance with the OECD Principles. India is full adherent to Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) in the Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) since March, 2011. This facilitates the acceptance of data generated in Indian GLP certified labs across all the OECD member countries and full adherent non-member countries to MAD in OECD. Key achievements under the National GLP Program during the year 2024 are as follows:

A series of innovative products and technologies developed under the Science and Heritage Research Initiative (SHRI), each reflecting the initiative’s mission to blend traditional knowledge with modern science were unveiled during the event. Among the highlights was the launch of the following:

• Kosh Shree, an encyclopedic Sanskrit dictionary and article-authoring tool powered by a crowdsourcing framework. Designed to facilitate the collaborative creation of Sanskrit articles, this specialized software allows users to prepare and publish vocabulary and dictionary volumes online, promoting the preservation and accessibility of India’s ancient language.

• A Structured Yoga Module for Diabetes Management, providing a lifestyle approach for managing adult-onset diabetes based on India’s 5,000-year-old yoga tradition.

• HerbaHeal Cream and HerbaHeal Gel are innovative herbal products designed for the effective management of wounds, cuts, and burns; these formulations are rooted in traditional knowledge from the Malayali tribal community of Tamil Nadu.

• An Advanced Electronic Jacquard for Handloom Weaving. This cutting-edge technology, entirely developed in India, combines a robust design with user-friendly software, empowering handloom weavers to produce intricate ethnic and traditional textiles with ease while preserving the rich heritage of handloom craftsmanship.

In the coming year – 2025, the following key activities are being tentatively planned:

TDB signed seven loan agreements in 2024, fostering technological innovation across diverse sectors. With a total project cost of ₹435.94 crore, including ₹220.73 crore of TDB’s assistance, these projects aim to drive advancements in healthcare, energy, space, agriculture, and engineering.

In addition, TDB facilitated twelve international bilateral projects between January and December 2024, fostering innovation and strengthening global collaborations. With a contribution of ₹29.64 crore from TDB, these projects span diverse sectors, including healthcare, IT, energy, climate, agriculture, and defence. The collaborations involve esteemed international partners from countries such as Israel, the United Kingdom, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, and Singapore, underscoring TDB’s commitment to advancing technological excellence on a global scale.

In continuation to the Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit which was held to connect Indian STEM diaspora with Indian Institutions, the Government of India implemented the VAIBHAV Fellowship Programme in 2023 through Department of Science and Technology (DST). The fellowship was divided into two categories:

Under 1^st call of VAIBHAV Fellowship, a total of 302 proposals were received and 22 applicants were recommended for the award and the results were announced on 23 Jan 2024 by Hon’ble S&T Minister. Also, nominations for Distinguished VAIBHAV Fellows were called in year 2023 from scientific Ministries, NITI Aayog, PSA office etc. and 02 nominees were recommended for award.

The second call of VAIBHAV Fellowships was announced in year 2024 and a total of 216 proposals were received under this call. The results may be announced by end of December 2024. The next nominations for DVF may be called in December 2024/January 2025.

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