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(GIST OF YOJANA) Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023

(September-2023)

Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023

Introduction:

The NRF will provide high-level strategic direction for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the fields of natural sciences, including mathematical sciences, engineering and technology, environmental and earth sciences, health, and agriculture. It will also promote scientific and technological interfaces in the humanities and social sciences to promote, monitor, and provide support as required for such research and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Key highlights:

The Bill will hike R&D spending in the country. The executive Council of NRF is mandated not only to monitor the progress of the different projects but also to analyse the accountability of the funding at different levels.
The Act will pave the way to establish an NRF that will seed, grow, and promote research and Development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.
The Act will establish NRF, an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National education Policy (NEP), at a total estimated cost of Rs 50,000 crore during five years (2023-28).
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be the administrative Department of NRF, which will be governed by a Governing Board consisting of eminent researchers and professionals across disciplines. Since the scope of the NRF is wide-ranging, impacting all ministries - the Prime Minister will be the ex-officio President of the Board, and the Union Minister of Science & Technology and the Union Minister of education will be the ex-officio vice-Presidents. NRF’s functioning will be governed by an executive Council chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
NRF will forge collaborations among industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions, and create an interface mechanism for the 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.
The Act will also repeal the Science and engineering research Board (SERB), established by an Act of Parliament in 2008, and subsume it into the NRF, which has an expanded mandate and covers activities over and above those of SERB.