Lok Sabha

The Government through the Department of Science and Technology has already approved a program called “Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)” to promote science and attract talents for pursuing career in research. The scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on 13th December, 2008.

The basic objective of INSPIRE is to attract talents and motivate them for studying science from an early age and pursuing career in research and help to build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the S&T and R&D base in the country. It is a program with a long term foresight.

The program has three components i.e., i) Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS) for Science, ii) Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) and iii) Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC) covering an age-group of 10-32 years of a student.

(i) Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent for Science (SEATS) aims at (a) attracting talented child in the age group of 10-15 years to experience the joy of innovations through an investment of Rs.5000 per child as INSPIRE award; and (b) exposure of more than 50,000 students in class XI pursuing science with global science leaders through INSPIRE internship.

(ii) Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) aims to enhance rates of attachment of talented youth to undertake higher education in science intensive programs by providing scholarships and mentoring through summer attachment with performing researchers. The scheme would offer 10,000 scholarships every year @ Rs.0.80 lakh per year for undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate level education in natural and basic sciences for the talented youth in the age group 17-22 years. The other feature of the scheme is to provide mentorship support, being planned for every scholar through INSPIRE scholarship.

(iii) Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC) scheme envisages to provide 1000 doctoral INSPIRE Fellowships each year in the age group of 22-27 in both basic and applied sciences including engineering and medicine for pursuing doctoral degree. Besides this, it also offers every year an opportunity for 1000 post-doctoral researchers in the age group of 27-32 to provide a contractual and tenure track positions for 5 years in both basic and applied sciences through an INSPIRE faculty scheme.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences (Independent charge), PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Prithviraj Chavan in a written reply to a question by Shri Harishchandra Chavan in the Lok Sabha today.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : July 29, 2009