{"id":162606,"date":"2025-04-18T19:36:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=162606"},"modified":"2025-04-18T19:36:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:06:11","slug":"indias-research-and-innovation","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/indias-research-and-innovation","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Research And Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the<\/span><b> Union Minister of State for Science and Technology <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">declared that <\/span><b>Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has been envisaged<\/span><b> to anchor upscaled collaborations involving private players.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Status of Research and Development In India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has secured the<\/span><b> 39th position among 133 global economies.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gross Expenditure on R&#038;D (GERD): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s GERD has steadily increased,<\/span><b> more than doubling from Rs. 60,196.75 crore in 2010\u201311 to Rs. 127,380.96 crore in 2020\u201321<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The majority of this investment comes from the government sector, with contributions from the <\/span><b>Central Government (43.7%), State Governments (6.7%), Higher Education (8.8%), and Public Sector Industry (4.4%).<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Women\u2019s Participation in R&#038;D: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The involvement of women in R&#038;D projects has grown significantly, reaching <\/span><b>25% in 2019\u201320,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> up from <\/span><b>13% in 2000\u201301.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.698%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>About ANRF<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Statutory Body: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Established under the <\/span><b>Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ANRF acts as an <\/span><b>apex body <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to provide high-level strategic direction to the scientific research in the country.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Nodal Ministry: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ministry of Science and Technology.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Precursor: Precursor: Replaces the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Function: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To fund, promote, and coordinate research and innovation across academic institutions, R&#038;D labs, and industries.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><b>India\u2019s Spending on R&#038;D:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India\u2019s spending on R&#038;D (about<\/span><b> 0.6 percent of GDP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is well below the major nations such as the US (2.8), China (2.1), Israel (4.3) and Korea (4.2).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Budget Allocation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In the Union Budget<\/span><b> 2024\u201325,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India allocated<\/span><b> \u20b920,000 crore<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the Ministry of Science and Technology for research, development, and innovation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 2024:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has gained <\/span><b>6th rank globally <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with 64,480 patent applications, domestic applicants comprising <\/span><b>over half (55.2%) of these applications which is the first time for a country.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Challenges in India\u2019s Research and Innovation Ecosystem<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Low Investment in R&#038;D: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) is <\/span><b>only 0.7% of GDP,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> much <\/span><b>below the global average of 2%.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Limited Private Sector Participation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In India, <\/span><b>52% of R&#038;D spending<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> comes from the government, compared to just <\/span><b>10% in the US<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>13% in Germany<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>15% in China<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lacunae In Research Infrastructure: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many universities and semi-urban institutions <\/span><b>lack adequate funding and infrastructure <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for high-quality research.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Talent Migration (Brain Drain): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many skilled Indian researchers and scientists move abroad in search of better research infrastructure, funding, and career opportunities, leading to a loss of high-quality talent.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Industry\u2013Academia Disconnect:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Collaboration between <\/span><b>universities and industries remains limited<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, resulting in low commercialization of academic research and weak innovation linkages.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Administrative Bottlenecks: Bureaucratic red tape<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> often causes delays in fund disbursement, project approvals, and procurement processes, hampering research continuity and efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Intellectual Property Challenges: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>number of patents filed in India is significantly lower<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> compared to countries like <\/span><b>China and the US<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the<\/span><b> patent grant rate is also comparatively low.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Regional Imbalances:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> R&#038;D activities are <\/span><b>concentrated in a few states<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like <\/span><b>Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while other regions lag due to inadequate infrastructure and institutional support.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gender Gap in STEM: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><b>UNESCO, only 35% of STEM students in higher education in India are women<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and their <\/span><b>presence in leadership positions is even lower.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Key Government Initiatives to Promote R&#038;D and Innovation<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched by NITI Aayog in <\/span><b>2016<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, AIM fosters innovation and entrepreneurship through programs like Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, Atal Incubation Centres for startups, and support for MSMEs via the ARISE initiative.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>One Nation, One Subscription (2025):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative is aimed at providing<\/span><b> access to scholarly research content to all individuals in the country.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Startup India (2016):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This flagship initiative offers tax benefits, easier compliance, funding support (via SIDBI\u2019s Fund of Funds), and a strong push to build a robust innovation-driven startup ecosystem.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ANRF acts as an <\/span><b>apex body<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to provide high-level strategic direction to scientific research in the country. It is <\/span><b>established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has launched the &#8216;<\/span><b>GENESIS&#8217; Scheme in 2022<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><b>boost the startup ecosystem in Tier-II and Tier-III <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System (NM-ICPS): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was launched in <\/span><b>2018 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">aimed at <\/span><b>development of technology platforms to carry out R&#038;D<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, translational research, product development, incubating &#038; supporting startups as well as commercialization.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Measures to Enhance India\u2019s R&#038;D Capabilities<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increase Funding: Enhancing Research and Development (R&#038;D) Funding and Investment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India must scale up its R&#038;D budget to at least<\/span><b> 4% of GDP <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to strengthen research output and global competitiveness.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> should introduce incentives like tax breaks and equity-sharing models to encourage private sector contributions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.8973%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Steps taken by the Government to promote women participation in STEM Courses:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Pragati Scholarship: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched by AICTE in 2014 to support meritorious girl students in technical education.<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">10,000 scholarships are awarded annually to encourage higher education for women.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>TechSaksham Program (TSP): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>top-up program<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aimed at <\/span><b>developing<\/b> <b>employability skills in underserved female students.<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Focuses on experiential learning to enhance the career readiness of women in higher education<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Attract Global Talent: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reverse Brain Drain initiatives can incentivize Indian researchers abroad by <\/span><b>offering competitive salaries, grants, and research facilities.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Promote Research Quality: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establish a <\/span><b>National Research Integrity Office<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to enforce ethical standards in research.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>India ranks fourth <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in<\/span><b> research output <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">but<\/span><b> ninth <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when it comes to<\/span><b> research citation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">raising concern over the quality of work produced.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gender Inclusivity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Programs like <\/span><b>Women in STEM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> scholarships and<\/span><b> gender-sensitive policies <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">such as<\/span><b> extended maternity leave<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> would <\/span><b>increase female participation in science.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Women make up only 30% of the STEM workforce in India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which could rise with targeted policies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.7983%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Technology Readiness Level (TRL)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a systematic scale used to measure the<\/span><b> maturity of a technology, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ranging from <\/span><b>basic research (TRL 1) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to<\/span><b> fully operational systems in the market (TRL 9)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Innovation Incubators: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technology Business Incubators in universities would <\/span><b>bridge the gap between research and marketable innovations.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>Lab to Market program<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> could provide grants for translating academic research into commercial products.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Enhance Research Infrastructure: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a need for an Infrastructure Modernization program that could improve existing labs.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Example: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shared platforms like a <\/span><b>national research cloud <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">would allow researchers to collaborate on data-heavy projects, improving efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Interdisciplinary Research: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Centers of Interdisciplinary Research Excellence would stimulate collaboration across sectors such as biotech, AI, and climate change.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This could facilitate cross-pollination of ideas, creating a more dynamic research environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With <\/span><b>continued policy support<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and an <\/span><b>evolving talent pool<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India is not just poised to maintain its leadership among lower-middle-income economies but also to emerge as a global powerhouse of innovation, driving advancements that could shape the future of industries worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; 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