NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION (NRF)
CONTEXT:
- Recently, Union Cabinet has approved the introduction of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill in Parliament.
WHAT IS NRF ?
- The NRF intends to act as a coordinating agency between researchers, various government bodies and industry.
- It helps bringing industry into the mainstream of research.
- Setting up the NRF was one of the key recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020.
- In addition to providing research grants to individuals, the NRF plans to seed, grow and facilitate research in India’s universities by funding research infrastructure and researchers.
FEATURES OF NRF:
- The NRF will be presided by the Prime Minister and consist of 10 major directorates, focusing on different domains of science, arts, humanities, innovation and entrepreneurship.
- The NRF will have an 18-member board with eminent Indian and international scientists, senior government functionaries and industry leaders.
- The NRF will be registered as a society and have an independent secretariat.
FUNDING OF NRF :
- The NRF will operate with a budget of ₹50,000 crore for five years, of which 28% (₹14,000 crore) will be the government’s share, and the remaining 72% (₹36,000 crore) will come from the private sector.
- The NRF draft proposes the government’s share to increase eventually to ₹20,000 crore per year.
- Out of the government’s share, ₹4,000 crore will be used from the existing Science and Engineering Research Board’s budget, which will be subsumed under the NRF.
- Therefore, the government has earmarked an additional 10,000 crore over the next five years for the NRF.
SYLLABUS: PRELIMS, CURRENT AFFAIRS
