February 19, 2002

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    The Department of Science and Technology has sought an allocation of Rs. 1194.89 crore for the year 2002-03. The projections have been made taking into account the ongoing schemes relating to promotion of basic research, technology development and transfer, S&T based intervention for social development, anticipatory increase in S&T investments arising out of the Government’s decision to hike the same to 2 percent of GDP in the next five years and absorption of capacity to implement various programmes of the department and R&D institutions.

    An additional allocation of Rs. 216.55 crore is being asked for multi-department programmes connected with India Millennium Mission 2020 and Research to Delivery of competitive technologies. Major increases have been projected to arrest the steady decrease in the number of projects which the Science And Engineering Research Council has been supporting in the last five years as also to strengthen the major initiative i.e. Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure in universities and higher educational institutions to strengthen their R&D base. Need has also been felt for significantly strengthening pre-disaster preparedness towards natural calamities such as earthquakes, landslides and cyclones, etc. The projections also cover modernisation of basic R&D institutions setup decades ago.

    Enhanced allocation demand also include Rs. 222 crore for taking up new schemes concerning Seismology, Nano-technology, Technology for bamboo products, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, Instrument development and Technology Business Incubators.