Fellowship to Scientists

 Fellowship to Scientists

The Government has taken a number of steps to attract and retain scientists by providing them attractive remuneration package and better scientific environment for development and advancement of scientific research in the country. Ramanujan Fellowship of Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ramalingaswami Fellowships of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) have attracted outstanding Indian scientists and engineers from all over the world to take up scientific research in our country. Both the fellowships provide a fellowship of Rs. 75,000/- pm for a period of five years along with a research grant. Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Faculty Award meant for young Indian scientists from all over the world to carry out quality research in the country offers fellowship equivalent to the scale of the Assistant Professor of an IIT and research grant for 5 years. DBT – Wellcome Trust Biomedical Research Fellowship Career Programme is established to attract a strong cohort of qualified scientists working abroad to seek career opportunities in India. The recently introduced Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship is aimed to attract eminent scientists of any country to undertake collaborative and part-time research in laboratories in India over a period of three years. It offers a honorarium of US $100,000 for a total period of 12 months work in India along with research contingency support. In addition, some of the enabling mechanisms put in place by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to arrest brain drain and promote R&D in India include: sharing of proceeds with scientists from sponsored projects, consultancy projects and premia and royalty received from the industry; knowledge alliance with private industry to pursue product driven R&D and establishment of incubation centres to nurture start-up companies and enable chances of commercialization; investment of knowledgebase as equity in enterprises.

Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Shri S.Jaipal Reddy gave this information in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha today.