He made the remarks while chairing the first governing body meeting of the newly formed Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).It was decided during the meeting to launch a programme in “hub and spoke” mode by pairing universities, where research is at nascent stage, with top tier established institutions to elevate research capabilities in higher education institutions.
Currently, less than 1% of the country’s 40,000 higher education institutions (HEIs) are engaged in research activities. The “hub and and spoke” framework through Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) programme is expected to enable these institutions to systematically enhance their research excellence.
The Foundation will also launch programmes on “solution-focussed research” in mission mode in select priority areas like Electric Vehicle (EV) mobility, advanced materials, solar cells, smart infrastructure, health & medical technology, sustainable agriculture and photonics.
Modi during the meeting talked about developing a dashboard where information related to research and development happening in the country could be easily tracked, and suggested grading of labs, preparing a list of domain experts on the basis of their expertise and promoting research in various areas including battery ingredients for EVs and lab grown diamonds among others. He also discussed the need for “upgradation and standardisation” of institutions.
The governing body discussed several areas of strategic interventions which include global positioning of India in key sectors, aligning R&D with national priorities, promoting inclusive growth, capacity building, driving scientific advances and innovation ecosystem, as well as bridging the gap between academic research and industrial applications through industry-aligned translational research.
It was also decided to set up Centers of Excellence to support interdisciplinary research in humanities and social sciences. Participants, including education minister Dharmendra Pradhan (vice-president of the governing body) and principal scientific adviser to the government Ajay Sood among others, agreed that there was a need to empower researchers with flexible and transparent funding mechanisms towards achieving ease of doing research.
“We expect these centres of excellence to catalyse outstanding research achievements and raise the global rankings of Indian institutions,” said Abhay Karandikar, secretary, department of science and technology, while briefing about the meeting.
The Foundation, established under the ANRF Act 2023, acts as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy. It forges collaborations among the industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions.
The ANRF has earmarked a total budget of Rs 50,000 crores for five years (2023-28), out of which a major share of around 70%, is estimated to come from non-government sources.
“ANRF is set to seed, grow and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout the country, with a focus on diverse fields, including natural sciences, engineering, technology, environmental and earth sciences and health,” said Karandikar.
The governing body directed that the Foundation’s strategies should align with the goals of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) 2047 and implementation of its programmes should follow global best practices adopted by research and development agencies across the world.
