{"id":49592,"date":"2025-06-08T00:20:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T18:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=49592"},"modified":"2025-06-10T10:38:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T05:08:01","slug":"government-eases-procurement-norms-for-research-labs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/government-eases-procurement-norms-for-research-labs\/","title":{"rendered":"Government Eases Procurement Norms for Research Labs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Boosting Scientific Research in India Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>In a significant policy shift to\u00a0<strong>promote ease of doing research in India,<\/strong>\u00a0the Government has\u00a0<strong>amended\u00a0<\/strong>the\u00a0<strong>General Financial Rules (GFR)<\/strong>\u00a0to increase procurement limits for scientific institutions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>This reform is aimed at\u00a0<strong>reducing procedural delays, enhancing autonomy, and accelerating innovation.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Key Amendments in GFR Related to Research Procurement<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Increased procurement limits without quotation:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Earlier limit:<\/strong>\u00a0\u20b91 lakh<\/li>\n<li><strong>Revised limit:\u00a0<\/strong>\u20b92 lakh<\/li>\n<li><strong>Applicability:<\/strong>\u00a0Scientific instruments and consumables used for research.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Benefit:\u00a0<\/strong>Faster and simpler procurement for smaller purchases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Purchase committee empowered further:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Earlier limit for procuring goods:\u00a0<\/strong>\u20b910 lakh<\/li>\n<li><strong>Revised limit:\u00a0<\/strong>\u20b925 lakh<\/li>\n<li><strong>Significance:<\/strong>\u00a0Greater flexibility and quicker decision-making at institutional level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhancement in limited tender enquiry (LTE) and advertised tender enquiry:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The financial limits for procuring goods using the LTE and advertised tender enquiry have been increased to\u00a0<strong>\u20b91 crore<\/strong>\u00a0from the existing \u20b950 lakh.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Impact:<\/strong>\u00a0Facilitates smoother medium-scale procurement processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Approval powers for global tender enquiry:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Vice Chancellors and directors have been designated as competent authorities to approve the issuance of a global tender enquiry\u00a0<strong>up to \u20b9200 crore<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Condition:\u00a0<\/strong>Procurement must be exclusively for scientific research purposes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Other Key Reform Measures Announced<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Exemption from Government e-Marketplace (GEM):<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Previous rule:\u00a0<\/strong>Mandatory procurement through GEM, prioritising the cheapest available Made-in-India options.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Problem:\u00a0<\/strong>Scientists reported quality issues and delays due to lack of customisation and limited high-grade scientific vendors on GEM.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Revised rule:<\/strong>\u00a0Directors, Vice-Chancellors, and Chancellors now permitted non-GEM procurement for scientific equipment and consumables.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhanced procurement autonomy for research heads:\u00a0<\/strong>Institute heads regain pre-GEM level autonomy in\u00a0<strong>selecting vendors and managing purchases.\u00a0<\/strong>Seen as a\u00a0<strong>restoration of trust in institutional judgment.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Strategic Objective Behind the Amendments<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Promote ease of doing research:\u00a0<\/strong>By simplifying research procedures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reduce bureaucratic delays:\u00a0<\/strong>Simplified GFR norms reduce red tape and administrative delays in the procurement process.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Encourage autonomy and innovation:\u00a0<\/strong>Institutions gain more financial freedom to prioritize research goals without being hindered by restrictive financial ceilings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Supports objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat:<\/strong>\u00a0By enabling domestic institutions to access world-class tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Wider Applicability Across Scientific Sectors<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Departments benefiting from revised GFR:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Department of Science and Technology (DST)<\/li>\n<li>Department of Biotechnology (DBT)<\/li>\n<li>Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)<\/li>\n<li>Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)<\/li>\n<li>Department of Space, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutions benefited:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)<\/li>\n<li>Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)<\/li>\n<li>Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)<\/li>\n<li>Universities and Educational Institutions conducting PG and doctoral research<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The revised General Financial Rules (GFR) mark\u00a0<strong>a progressive policy move<\/strong>\u00a0to empower India&#8217;s scientific community, streamline procurement processes, and\u00a0<strong>catalyze indigenous innovation across strategic sectors<\/strong>\u00a0like defence, space, health, and education.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>These steps are aligned with India\u2019s broader vision of becoming a\u00a0<strong>global leader in science and technology.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Boosting Scientific Research in India FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong>\u00a0What is the primary objective behind the recent amendments to the General Financial Rules (GFR) concerning research procurement?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.\u00a0<\/strong>The amendments aim to promote ease of doing research by reducing delays, enhancing institutional autonomy, and accelerating innovation in scientific institutions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong>\u00a0What are the revised financial limits for procurement without quotation and through the Purchase Committee under the new GFR norms?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.\u00a0<\/strong>The limit without quotation has been increased from \u20b91 lakh to \u20b92 lakh, and the Purchase Committee limit has been raised from \u20b910 lakh to \u20b925 lakh.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.\u00a0<\/strong>Which authorities have been empowered to approve global tender enquiries up to \u20b9200 crore, and for what purpose?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0Vice Chancellors and Directors of research institutions can now approve global tender enquiries up to \u20b9200 crore exclusively for procuring scientific equipment and consumables for research.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong>\u00a0Name at least three scientific or research institutions that will benefit from the revised GFR provisions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.\u00a0<\/strong>DRDO, ICMR, and ICAR, along with universities conducting postgraduate and doctoral research, will benefit from the revised norms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong>\u00a0How do the amended GFR rules align with India\u2019s broader goals in science and technology policy?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0The reforms support India\u2019s aim to become a global scientific leader by fostering an ecosystem of innovation, autonomy, and efficient resource utilization.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/finance-ministry-rolls-back-restrictions-on-procurement-of-scientific-equipment\/article69668799.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a major policy shift, the Govt has amended GFR to raise procurement limits for scientific institutions, boosting ease of doing research in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":49596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[758,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-49592","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-boosting-scientific-research-in-india","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49592\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}