| State Science & Technology Programme
"However large may be the central Government's
investment of energy and resources in the scientific and technological
effort, it must take the states along if developmental goals
are to be attained."
The state level machinery (State S&T councils) has to
take the role of a major 'Prime Mover' while the centre could
play a very catalytic and effective role in encouraging the
initiative of state Governments.."
Bharat Ratna
Late Shri C. Subramaniam
Assistance for Development of State Councils
for Science & Technology
Background
The initiative to establish State Councils for
Science & Technology was first taken in 1971 when the
then Minister for S&T and Chairman, National Committee
for Science & Technology (NCST), Shri C Subramanam wrote
to Chief Ministers of all the States stressing that irrespective
of large investments of the Central Government in S&T
in various sectors and institutional infrastructure, the Central
S&T Agencies must take the States along if the development
goals are to be attained. By the end of Fifth Five Year Plan,
Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were the
four States, who had established their State S&T Councils.
While these few States responded to the idea of State S&T
planning & promotion, it became clear that a sustained
effort was needed to establish and develop the State Councils
for Science & Technology.
As a result, the process of impetus for State
level planning and Promotion of Science & Technology began
in the Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-85) and continued through
the subsequent Five Year Plans, primarily through this plan
programme, formerly known as, "Assistance for development
of State Councils for Science and Technology".
State Science & Technology Councils have
been set-up in all the States and Union Territories. Several
States have also formed a separate Department of Science &
Technology. The State Councils are normally chaired by Chief
Ministers of respective States or by an eminent scientist.
Evolving Roles of DST
Department of Science & Technology (DST),
Government of India (GOI), played a catalytic role by facilitating
the State Governments in establishing and developing the State
S&T Councils on S&T and by providing support for their
technical secretariats. Concurrently DST (GOI), in collaboration
with respective State Councils, organized all India thematic
meetings/workshops whose recommendations helped identify activity-areas
for promotion by the State S&T Councils. DST also organised
periodic review meetings to discuss the status of various
S&T programmes and to plan the strategy for future. Regional
Meetings organised by DST facilitated review of state S&T
structures and identification of areas of mutual cooperation
between States.
On completion of 10 years of this programme,
a Decennial Review was held to assess the strengths and weaknesses
of this programme vis-à-vis DST's performance. This
review indicated desire for a phase change geared towards
programmatic support and strengthening linkages between State
S&T Councils and Central S&T Agencies by suitably
dovetailing various programmes of State S&T Councils with
those of Central S&T Agencies.
It was also realised that these State S&T
Councils, since their formation have now come of age to initiate
a phase where resources in terms of expertise and technology
promoted and generated by the Central and State S&T Agencies
be pooled together to undertake joint S&T programmes.
Encouraging Initiatives
DST's support has facilitated State S&T
Councils to embark upon novel initiatives resulting in a number
of success stories. The illustrations below are testimony
to catalytic but effective role played in encouraging the
initiative of State S&T Councils.
Student
Project Programme (Karnataka):
a highly successful and probably longest
continuing programme aimed at encouraging students to
use their talent for solving local problems and improving
quality of higher education in engineering and sciences,
streams.
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Exhibits displayed during Student Project
Programme Seminar cum Exhibition
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Field visit to Rice Sheller
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Cleaner and Fuel Efficient
Technologies (Punjab): successful
development and introduction of Air pollution control
equipment for cupola furnaces, rice shellers and induction
furnaces which not only reduced pollution but also improved
fuel efficiency.
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Solar
Passive Housing Technology (Himachal pradesh):
a technology for effectively utilising
solar energy for day lighting and space heating purposes,
successfully introduced and widely replicated through
promotional as well as policy instruments
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Himurja Bhawan - A building designed on Solar passive
concepts
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Handpump attached defluoridation unit
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Defluoridation
of Drinking Water (Rajasthan): successful development
and demonstration of handpump attached defluoridation
unit, widely acclaimed for its user-friendly features
and readily accepted by Public Health Engineering Department. |
Development
of Technology for degumming of Ramie Fibre (Assam):
an initiative that has resulted in generating income opportunities
as rural ramie grower can now produce value added finished
products.
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Degumming of Ramie Fibre |
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Promoting Catalytic
Linkages
State Science & Technology Programme has been playing
a catalytic role to promote other State Oriented S&T
activities of DST as well as other Central S&T Agencies.
This has been done through, provision of manpower dedicated
for the programme, providing forum for interaction between
State S&T Councils and these programmes and organising
thematic meetings to ensure focussed attention.
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National Science Day Celebration
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Science
Communication: creation of scientific temper through
children science Congress, Science behind miracles, National
Science day etc. activities facilitated.
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Natural Resources Data Management
system (NRDMS): increase in the efficiency of
use of natural resources of district through application
of scientific management principles and its replicability
throughout the state. NRDMS District Centres and programmes
being implemented in various states.
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Prioritisation of Minor Irrigation Tanks for Rejuvenation
based on Ayacut Area in Sorab Taluk, Shimoga District,
Kamataka |
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Patent awareness workshop at Bihar Council on S&T
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Patent Awareness
Patent awareness workshops in various
states and Patent Facilitating Centres -(PFCs) in various
State S&T Councils.
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Societal
S&T Programmes: replication of technology models
for-rural application as well as development of location
specific need based technologies.
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Prototype "Pedal Operated Rice Mill" |
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S&T
Human Resource Development:
organisation of national level meets, workshops, symposias,
young scientists fellowships, etc for the benefit of scientific
community in State S&T institutions.
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Entrepreneurship Development
Programmes: to provide self-employment for S&T
manpower and promoting S&T Entrepreneurship programmes
in the States.
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Leg Operated wool spinning charkha (Medulary Charkha)
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Programmatic
Support
The beginning of Programme Support under
the scheme in the Ninth Plan addressed itself to need
felt during Eighth Plan to accelerate S&T activities
at the State level so as to ensure integration of S&T
for overall socio-economic development with special
emphasis on Location Specific Research & Technology
Development, Adaptation and Transfer, S&T studies/surveys
and information exchange & experience sharing on
specific S&T programmes. This impelled a pro-active
approach by DST to have synergy of efforts.
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Pilot
Scale Demonstration Projects: support for setting
up Pilot scale demonstration projects including field
trials etc based on technologies developed by Central
S&T Agencies/ Labs/ Institutions etc. relevant to
the State needs.
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Penstock laying work of Micro Hydel Project at Nagaland
in Progress |
Traditional Milling Process, Namda Craft |
S&T studies & surveys:
support for carrying out S&T studies / surveys including
techno-economic analysis, simulation modeling and studies
etc. and development of State S&T database, S&T
resources, State S&T policy issues, specific status
reports etc. leading to specific action plan for project
generation.
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Location
specific research & technology development:
support for identifying/projectising S&T programmes
and for development oriented location specific research
and technology development.
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Location Specific Research of Root Rot disease of Castor
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Replication of success models:
support for replication of projects/ programmes in other
interested States based on successful experiences of
a State S&T Council/State S&T Institute/ NGOs
etc. Package for Sustainable Transformation of Rural
Areas (SuTRA) developed by Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore, proposed for replication at Rajasthan, AP
and MP.
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Information
Exchange & Experience Sharing: support for
meetings/ workshops and other means of information exchange
and interaction of S&T experts and / or of S&T
field activists etc, Workshops on dissemination of specific
technology, Project/ programme formulation workshops.
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A Scene of Specialised Training on Glazed Terracota
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Training on Mushroom Cultivation at Mushroom Spawn
Centre |
Awareness
& Training: awareness and training on specific
innovative technologies/ packages developed /propagated
by State S&T department/ Council requiring special
S&T inputs and also on specific S&T topics/themes
and management of State S&T programmes.
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Salient Achivements |
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Osmosis Desalination Plant - Rajasthan & Gujarat:
converts brackish/hard water to potable drinking
water. |
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Poultry Farm at Namakkal |
Treatment
of Important Poultry Diseases, Namakkal - Tamil Nadu:
monitoring, surveillance and prompt control of
widely prevalent diseases of poultry. |
Plasma
Pyrolysis Plant - A&N , Goa, H.P., Sikkim:
plasma assisted thermal. disintegration of plastic bags
to overcome the plastic menace facilitating environment
friendly disposal, can also treat hospital waste.
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Plasma Pyrolysis unit at Goa |
A Hydraulic Ram Pump (HRP) at Work |
Installation
of Hydrams - H.P : an appropriate cost effective
and practical technology to harness irrigation potential
of streams in hilly regions, integrated with ferrocement
technology and community irrigation concepts for optimised
performance. |
Cupola
furnace modifications - Bihar & Haryana: a
suitable cost effective technology for controlling air
pollution developed by Punjab State Council for Science
& Technology.
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Cupola installed at Kaithal, Haryana |
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Cardamon Drier, Sikkim
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Cardamom drier - Sikkim:
a fuel efficient technology with minimum wastage, higher
yield and better quality.
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Inventory of Medicinal Plants
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: a scientific
documentation of medicinal & aromatic wealth of
Islands.
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Research Team of N.B.R.I & Forest Officers in Shompen
Hut, Campbell Bay |
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Future Thrust
While continuing the catalytic role in encouraging
the State Government's initiatives, the department would launch
certain programmes of importance identified through various
consultations pro-actively. The department would strive to
evolve and support certain joint programmes focusing on multi-sectoral
area based approach to rural / regional development in co-operation
with multiple State & Central Institutions, NGO's and
State S&T Councils. These areas would be so identified
where S&T intervention could significantly improve the
existing socio-economic conditions. Demonstration and Field
trials of socially relevant technologies would specially be
encouraged. Interaction between State S&T Councils in
similar ecological zone has been initiated and would be promoted
further in future to facilitate joint S&T Programme formulation.
DST would welcome proposals having clearly established linkages
of S&T to overall development of the state. The area identified
should have potential to contribute in socio-economic upliftment
of the people of state. DST encourages formulations of proposals
through consultative process and interested organisations
are welcome to discuss ideas, concepts, proposed activities
etc. relevant to state needs.
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Please
download the Acrobate Reader to open .pdf file. |
List
of on-going projects :
For more information
Please Visit the State Science & Technology
Programme Website at www.dst-sstp.org
Contact
Dr. Laxman Prasad
Advisor & Head
Technology Transfer Division
Department of Science & Technology
Technology Bhawan
New Mehrauli Road
New Delhi-110 016.
Telefax: 011-26510686
Email: laxman at nic dot in
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Introduction
Scientific & Engineering 