The article sheds light on the allocation of funds  for the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to support research in the private sector, including corporates and startups.

Budget Highlights on Research and Innovation

• Major Funding for Research and Development
• • ₹20,000 crore allocated to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to boost private-sector R&D, including corporates and startups.
  • Part of the ₹1 lakh crore corpus fund announced in July 2024 to drive innovation in deeptech and sunrise sectors.
  • Aimed at enhancing strategic autonomy in key technology areas.

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• Strengthening Science and Technology Initiatives
  • Focus on public-private partnerships to accelerate innovation.
  • Major national missions include:
    • AI and Quantum Missions (ongoing)
    • Newly announced missions:
      • Nuclear Energy Mission (Small Modular Reactors – SMRs)
      • National Geospatial Mission (₹100 crore for FY 2025-26)
      • National Mission on High Yielding Seeds
      • Clean Tech Initiatives
      • Atal Tinkering Labs and AI in Education Centers
• Boost for Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing
  • ₹3,446.64 crore allocated to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) – a 51.45% increase from the previous year.
  • Launch of the ‘Bio-RIDE’ scheme to foster innovation and bio-entrepreneurship.
  • Focus on:
    • Gene-editing, personalized medicine, and sustainable agriculture.
    • Characterization of genetic resources (e.g., sequencing pulses like chickpea).
    • Strengthening India’s biomanufacturing sector under the BioE3 Policy.
• Support for CSIR’s Science and Industrial Research
  • CSIR Missions aligned with national programs:
    • Aroma and Floriculture Missions → Supports Agri-Districts Initiative.
    • Millets and Cotton Missions → Strengthens food security and textile industry.
    • Indigenous Manufacturing and Smart Packaging Missions → Drives industrial growth.
    • Green Hydrogen Mission → Aims for clean energy transition.
    • Youth Skilling → Jigyasa Programme complements Atal Tinkering Labs.
    • Women Empowerment → Seaweed Mission and Learn and Earn Program.
• Expansion in Nuclear Energy and Safety
  • Goal: Increase nuclear power to 100 GWe by 2047.
  • Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) introduced to aid India’s energy transition.
  • Plans to amend the Nuclear Liability and Damage Act, 2010, raising concerns among experts.

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• Challenges and Concerns
  • Decline in Curiosity-Driven Research: Budget focuses more on mission-mode projects rather than fundamental research.
    • For example: Basic science research has taken a backseat as the funding for IISc and the IISERs has been reduced. 
      • The UGC, which funds all universities, saw a drastic reduction in its budget last year (from Rs 5,360 crore to Rs 2,500 crore).
  • Bureaucratic Hurdles in Research Funding.
  • Higher Support for IITs (8.4%) vs. Central Universities (4.3%), despite universities undergoing reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP).
  • AI in Education: Need for meaningful adoption beyond just funding
• Recommendation: 
  • larger outlay in scientific and technological research: To fulfil the vision of scientific India to fruition, there is need for larger outlay in science and tech to the extent of 3% of GDP. 
    • In addition to the above, there is a need to raise the education budget to 6%. 

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