1. Prologue
  2. Sci-tech for Socio-Economic Development
  3. Tribal Development
  4. Schedule caste development
  5. Women and Science
  6. Empowering Desi Manpower
    1. INSPIRE
    2. FELLOWSHIPs
    3. Misc.
  7. Cooperation with desi States
  8. PPP/funding/collaboration with private Players

Prologue

I’m running the Summary of Department of Science and Technology (DST)’s Annual Report 2012-13. This report contains some good material UPSC General Studies Mains Paper 3 Topics:

  1. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
  2. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Total four part article series:

  1. Agro, EnB, Solar and Water
  2. Medical/Healthcare, Building-construction, textile, metal, plasma, Nano etc.
  3. Projects for benefit of SC, ST, Women, States and Human resource development: You’re here
  4. Mapping, International relation (IR), awareness campaigns and awards.

Sci-tech for Socio-Economic Development

DST supports following programs:

SEED SCIENCE FOR EQUITY, EMPOWERMENT & DEVELOPMENT (SEED)
SSP Science and Society Programme (SSP).promoting S&T for addressing needs of society
TARA Technological Advancement for Rural areas (TARA)Spreading S&T via grassroots arrangements to benefit the society at large.
STED Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development (STED) project,to motivate youth for establishing micro enterprise =>socio-economic development.

Tribal Development

ca$H comes from “Tribal Sub Plan” of the Department of Science & Technology. funding given for S&T applications in fruit crops, kitchen gardening, backyard poultry, goat rearing etc. let’s check some specific projects:

Tuna processing & Tribal development

  • Lakshadweep islands with its large lagoon offers very high potential for tuna.
  • but only less than 10% of the fishing potential is actually being tapped from this area.
  • dried tuna (Masmin) widely consumed in Sri Lanka, U.A.E, Malaysia, Philippines.
  • DST helping project for production of dried tuna (Masmin) and value added products in Minicoy islands.
  • fish waste = used for making pet feed.
  • Will help generating large scale employment in transporting, manufacturing, packing, marketing activities in a cooperative mode.

leaf moulding

leaf moulding machine

  • Biomass Based Stove for Leaf Moulding Machine (=leaf dishes used in marriage feasts)
  • machine does not require electricity for moulding operation with the improved heat transfer and combustion efficiency
  • developed by IIT, Kharagpur, tested in Mayurbhanj, Odisha.

Protected Areas (PA)

  • Eleventh Conference of Parties (CoP-11) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held @Hyd. in 2012. for more click me
  • Here India agreed to implement CoP-11 – Programme on People & Protected Areas (PAs).
  • This program brings together community, grass root NGO and other stakeholders for local conservation and livelihood issues
Soliga Tribe In Western Ghats, Soliga tribe given training for cultivation of important medicinal and aromatic plants.

Schedule caste development

ca$H comes from DST’s Sub-Plan for the Development of Scheduled Caste Population (SCSP).

Nalia Grass DST promoting cultivation of Nalia grass in Coastal Odisha to increase livelihood of SC communities + ecological benefits.

nalia

other projects run via All India Coordinated programme (AICP):=

Non-Farm
  1. non-farm technologies for better income
  2. new tools and simple machineries for artisans
Agro/Meat
  1. Biomass utilization to generate energy, compost etc.
  2. Breed improvement in local animals like goats, poultry, and rabbits.
  3. Backyard poultry and kitchen garden for better nutrition etc.
  4. Value addition of local fruits and vegetables
Water
  1. water treatment plants
  2. ground water recharging technologies
  3. rain water harvesting technologies
  4. sanitary latrines

Women and Science

DISHA Program

  • Under Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division of DST.
  • to promote gender equality and empower women through application of S&T
  • Socio-economic development of the women, especially in rural areas.
  • Improve livelihood prospects, drudgery reduction, health issues specific to women etc.
  • with help of NGOs, universities etc

WOMEN FELLOWSHIP SCHEMES

  • For women who have taken break from their science career.
  • scheme gives them opportunity to come back in main stream of science /engg.
  • workshops to guide  women on how to shape up their ideas in the form of a project.
  • IPR related training-certification exams for women scientists.
CURIE
  • Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence (CURIE)
  • To improve the R & D infrastructure @Women Universities’
  • so far 6 univ. supported. Latest being Banasthali University, Banasthali.
  • it’ll help gender parity in the long run.

Empowering Desi Manpower

INSPIRE

  • Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)
  • Who? Ministry of Science & Technology
  • Why? To attract/inspire talented students to study Science and pursue career in research.
  • When? 11th FYP and continued for 12th FYP as well.

INSPIRE includes following:

3 schemes 5 components
  1. Scheme for Early Attraction of Talents for Science (SEATS),
  2. Scholarship For Higher Education (SHE)
  3. Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC)
  1. INSPIRE Award (Rs.5000 for science project)
  2. INSPIRE Internship (students also get chance to interact with Nobel winners)
  3. INSPIRE Scholarship
  4. INSPIRE Fellowship
  5. INSPIRE Faculty Award

FELLOWSHIPs

JC Bose Ramanujan
for Indian scientists living in India, with are having regular positions in various institutions. for (NRI) Scientists+Engineers who want to return to India .
max age limit: 68 60
— duration: 5 years
Benefit: 25,000 per month 75000 per month + Annual grant of 5 lack rupee.

Misc.

USER
  • UTILIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE OF RETIRED SCIENTISTS (USERS)
  • to get the help of retired scientists to write in books/monographs and state of art-reports.
Rajat Jayanti Vigyan Sancharak Fellowship
  • for young scientists who are creating awareness generation among various target groups in remote areas.
  • duration: 1 year.

Cooperation with desi States

  • STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME (SSTP) by DST.
  • this is the is the only scheme of the Union Government to promote S&T@State level since VI
  • Provides help to State S&T Councils.

Some examples:

Andhra mitigating Water Crisis by Roof top rain waterHarvesting structures for SC/ST households in Southern Andhra.
Arunanchal
  • Micro hydel project on Sakthang Rong river.
Bihar
  • Prevalence of familial cancers because of DDT, Endosulfan, agro-chemicals.
  • DST running risk assessment.
Karnataka
  • Glomus mosseae=>bio-fertilizer
  • Trichoderma Virideis=>bio-pesticide.
Kerala Problem? Aquaculture =>mangrove habitat loss=>more damage during cyclones, tsunami etc.Solution? Scientific and mangrove friendly type of aquaculture (silvofishery). Projects going in Kerala.
Punjab endo-mycorrhiza=>bio-pesticides
Punjab
  • DNA and Chromosomal damage in workers of stone crushing/quarrying units
  • DST running risk assessment.
SC/ST
  • series of projects related to upliftment of SC/ST population
  • in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Tamilnadu.
  • example: livestock rearing ,agriculture, and vocational training for artisans.
TN
  • eco friendly rodent control methods for farmers
  • Soil Testing Kit – Ferticheck
UP
  • in many villages of Jaunpur district- females have muscular dystrophies.
  • project to use biomarkers and find genetically susceptible people and give them advance treatment.

PPP/funding/collaboration with private Players

FIST
  • Fund for Infrastructure Strengthening of Science and Technology (FIST)
  • improves the facilities/machines at the university
  • Provided better exposure to the students for preparing their base in research.
  • given to both basic + applied science areas including engineering, medicine, agriculture etc
GITA
  • Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA)
  • to stimulate private sector’s investment in R&D
  • Technology Cooperation agreements with many countries (more than 70 countries) launched industrial R&D programmes with Canada and Israel
Global INK platform
  • by Ministry of overseas affairs + Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
  • electronic platform for using Indian Diaspora’s skill for the benefit of the country.
  • to connect knowledge experts with knowledge seekers.
i3i
  • India Innovation Initiative – i3 i
  • PPP by DST+CCI+Agilent Tech.
  • helps upcoming innovators for incubation, funding, marketing etc.
IRIS
  • Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science – IRIS
  • PPP by DST+CCI+Intel.
  • for kids in class 5-12
MA
  • Millennium Alliance (MA)=  an India – U.S. innovation Partnership for Global Development
  • to bring together social innovators, philanthropy organizations, social venture capitalists, angel investors, donors, corporate foundations etc.
  • will provide innovators funding, grants, incubation, marketing, technical assistance etc.
MFBR
  • MEGA FACILITIES FOR BASIC RESEARCH
  • to create Mega Science facilities and launch Mega Science programmes in and out of the country
New indigo
  • India -EU Networking Pilot Programme (New Indigo)
  • Green Chemistry, Water Purification, transport, clean energy etc.
  • Research Agencies of Belgium, Finland, France, Netherlands, Germany and Spain had initiated joint proposals.
NSTEDB
  • NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT BOARD (NSTEDB)
  • under DST
  • promotes innovation and entrepreneurship to convert “job-seekers” into “job-generators”
PURSE
  • Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence.
  • Grants given to univ. depending on their scientific/research publications.
  • In the 11th plan period
  • To boost research at the University Sector
  • funding for manpower, equipments, magazines/journals, travel, workshops/conference etc.
  • Greater flexibilities: univ. free to choose their equipments etc.
  • doesn’t give ca$h for building and civil construction
  • doesn’t give ca$h for permanent faculties (only for contractual manpower)
SAIF
  • SOPHISTICATED ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENT FACILITIES (SAIF)
  • to provide sophisticated instruments to the research workers all over India.
  • So they can purse R&D activities and keep pace with developments taking place globally.
SERB
  • SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH BOARD (SERB)
  • under Dept of S&T.
  • provides funding for R&D
  • fellowships including JC Bose, Ramanujan; Seminar/ Symposia and S&T Professional Bodies;
  • International Travel Support

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT BOARD(TDB)

  • statutory body in 1996
  • gives financial assistance for
    • development and commercial application of indigenous technology and
    • adapting imported technology for domestic uses
  • Via loan (debt) or equity.
  • Notable projects: IVDD, EndoXS, Easymesh, Eko:branchless banking, Paclitaxel, PacliALL. (these terms covered in first and second part of article series)