The National Research Foundation (NRF)

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Salient Features of the NRF Bill 2023
• What is NRF?
• What is the Objective Behind Creating NRF?
• Significance of NRF

Why in News?

• The Union Cabinet approved the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill 2023, which will establish NRF as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction to scientific research in the country.
• The Bill was necessary because current laws made it hard for private research organisations to contribute to a funding body such as the NRF.

Salient Features of the NRF Bill 2023:

• It will pave the way to establish NRF that will seed, grow and promote R&D and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions and R&D laboratories.
• The proposed Bill also repeals the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) established by Parliament in 2008 and subsumes it into the NRF.
  • The SERB is the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) main funding body and is responsible for funding S&T start-ups, setting up incubators and funding science-related projects in central and state universities

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What is NRF?

• As per the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), NRF will be established at a total estimated cost of ₹50,000 crore from 2023-28.
  • The government will contribute ₹10,000 crore over five years and close to ₹36,000 crore is expected to come from the private sector (as investments into research).
• The DST would be an “administrative” department of NRF that would be governed by a Governing Board.
  • The Prime Minister will be the ex-officio President of the Board and the Union Minister of Science & Technology and Union Minister of Education will be the ex-officio Vice-Presidents.
  • The Governing Board will also consist of eminent researchers and professionals across disciplines.
• NRF’s functioning will be governed by an Executive Council chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

What is the Objective Behind Creating NRF?

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• To ensure that scientific research was conducted and funded equitably and greater participation from the private sector was forthcoming.
  • Currently, eminent institutions like the IITs and IISc get a bulk of research funding but State universities get very little (~10%) of the research funds.
• The NRF will prioritise research funding and the Executive Council will decide on what areas need support.
• NRF will forge collaborations among the industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions.
• It will create an interface mechanism for participation and contribution of industries and State governments in addition to the scientific and line Ministries.
• It will focus on creating a policy framework and putting in place regulatory processes that can encourage collaboration and increased spending by the industry on R&D.

Significance of NRF:

• Democratisation of science funding: NRF will emphasise the funding of projects in peripheral, rural and semi-urban areas, which are neglected and never receive funding for science projects.
• Finding solutions to the big problems facing Indian society: The NRF would promote research not just in the natural sciences and engineering, but also in social sciences, arts and humanities.
• Provides an efficient and integrated management system: For the implementation of the missions such as the supercomputer mission or the quantum mission.

Q1) Why did the Indian government launch the STRIDE Scheme?

Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy (STRIDE) aims to promote an innovative culture for trans-disciplinary research especially in universities and colleges.

Q2) Why was the IMPRINT scheme launched?

IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) is a pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative to develop a roadmap for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges in ten technology domains relevant to India was launched in 2015.

Source: Cabinet approves Bill for National Research Foundation to make research more equitable | IE