GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3574
TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2006

'CATCH THEM YOUNG' MOTTO

3574. SHRI N.S.V. CHITTHAN:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Ministry has adopted 'Catch them young' motto;
(b) if so, the complete details thereof;
(c) the aims objectives set to achieve from this; and
(d) the present status thereof?

A N S W E R

MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES
(KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (d) Developing and nurturing of human resource in Science and Technology has always been on top of the Government's agenda. The Government has given prime importance to catch the students at their young age to pursue science education through innovative schemes at various levels from school to college, moving on to competitive research and R&D at the highest level.

The Government has already instituted several schemes to attract meritorious students and scientists to a career in science - from the attractive Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana scholarships at the School and College level to the Shyama Prasad Mookerjee fellowships, Swarnajayanti fellowships, Ramanna Fellowships for performing scientists, young scientists projects and awards, JC Bose and Ramanujan fellowships at the research level. Events like National Children's Science Congress, International Science Olympiad are also aimed at youngsters to take up challenging and interesting areas of S&T. Through the Fund for Improvement of Science and Technology (FIST) programme and by establishing research facilities and centers for excellence, the Government has also tried to make available competitive research infrastructure to our basic science researchers. More recently, three new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) have been set up at Kolkata, Pune and Chandigarh, which, apart from carrying out frontline and internationally competitive research, would offer integrated M.Sc. programmes in a multi-disciplinary and academically flexible and research-oriented environment.

The Government, in the XI Plan is also proposing to launch a new scheme called INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research). The main features of the proposed scheme will be: (1) innovation funding in schools (one million young innovators); (2) summer camp with science ions (for high performers); (3) assured opportunity schemes for proven talent force; and, (4) retention of talent in public funded research through public-private partnerships.