MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

•  39.1. VIGYAN JYOTI
• To encourage the women to pursue science and to create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
• • Selected women from more than 500 districts, would be given opportunities to attend science camps at IITs, NITs and other leading institutions of science and technology education where women are not adequately represented
• • The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) to develop a comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing the Gender Equality in STEM.
• • An online portal for science and technology resources for women to provide E-resources related to all women-specific government schemes, scholarships, fellowships, career counselling. 
• 39.2. LOCAL TREATMENT OF URBAN SEWAGE FOR HEALTHY REUSE (LOTUS-HR) PROGRAM
• • To demonstrate a novel holistic waste-water management approach that will produce clean water that can be reused for various proposes.
• • To simultaneously recover nutrients and energy from the urban wastewater
• thus converting drain into profitable mines.
• • Recently, the second phase LOTUS-HR was launched.
• • This project was initiated in 2017 and is jointly supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Government of Netherlands.
• • The innovative pilot scale modular plant will treat 10,000 L sewage water per day and aims to develop universal water management and risk assessment strategies that are applicable for megacities all around the world.
• • The location of the project is Barapullah drain, New Delhi and the partners in the project are IIT-Delhi, NEERI and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
• • First Phase involved cleaning of Barapullah drain in Delhi using compact, robust and nature-based technology of Vital Urban Filters (VUFs).
• o The Vital Urban Filters are based on the principle of conventional vertical flow constructed wetland that are commonly used in decentralized wastewater management.
• o The filter consists of a flat bed of hydroponic filter material planted with ornamental plants.
• o The filter materials are highly porous providing a high surface area for biomass. As the influent percolates through the filter, heavy metals, pathogens and micro pollutants are removed through the interaction of the plants, filter materials and bacteria.
•  39.3. INTENSIFICATION OF RESEARCH IN HIGH PRIORITY AREAS (IRHPA)
• To supports proposals in high priority areas where multidisciplinary / multi-institutional expertise is required which will put our nation in international science map in that particular discipline.
• • Science and Engineering Research Board
• (SERB) an autonomous institution of the DST identifies the priority areas and makes a national call for seeking proposals.
• • The necessary facilities required for implementing the identified high priority areas are supported through this scheme.
• • Recently, proposals have been invited to ramp up national R&D efforts for new antivirals, vaccines, and affordable diagnostics for Covid-19 and related respiratory viral infections.
• • The duration of the project is normally for a period of 5 years (3 years for COVID-19).
• • The project is set up around established research groups led by a Principal Investigator (PI) with at least two co-PIs of complementary expertise from different departments / institutes to transform the program truly interdisciplinary and multi institutional.
• • Scientists from Universities, their affiliated Colleges, IITs, IISERs, IISc., and other Autonomous Research Institutions along with scientists working in the industrial R&D sector in India can submit a proposal under this scheme.
• • Earlier, R&D proposals are solicited for 3-D bioprinting, Emergent properties of Nanoscale Matter and Drug discovery for neglected diseases. 
• 39.4. UNIQUE METHODS OF MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF INHERITED DISORDERS (UMMID) INITIATIVE
• • to establish NIDAN (National Inherited Diseases Administration) Kendras to provide counselling, prenatal testing and diagnosis, management, and multidisciplinary care in Government Hospitals wherein the influx of patients is more.
• • to produce skilled clinicians in Human Genetics, and
• • to undertake screening of pregnant women and newborn babies for inherited genetic diseases in hospitals at aspirational districts.
• • The initiative is being supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under Ministry of Science & Technology.
• • It is designed on the concept of ‘Prevention is better than Cure’.
• • As a part of this initiative, in the first phase, five NIDAN Kendras have been established to provide comprehensive clinical care.
• • With this initiative people who cannot afford expensive care for genetic disorders will be benefited 
• 39.5. NATIONAL BIOPHARMA MISSION
• • to enable and nurture an ecosystem for preparing India’s technological and product development capabilities in bio-pharmaceuticals to a level that will be globally competitive over the next decade and transform the health standards of India’s population through affordable product development.
• • Aspires to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector
• • Other objectives include - Creating and enhancing technology transfer and intellectual property management capacities, building human capital and establishing shared infrastructure facilities for both product discovery validation and manufacturing.
• • to develop new vaccines, bio-therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices to address the rising burden of diseases.
• • to bring isolated centres of excellence (Academia) together, enhance regional capabilities and strengthen the current bio-clusters network in terms of capacities as well as quantity and quality of output.
• • The initial focus will be on Vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV), Dengue and biosimilars for cancer, diabetics and rheumatoid arthritis and medical devices and diagnostics.
• • This mission will develop platform technologies for product validation, link institutions to strengthen clinical trial networks, promote partial de-risking for novel products, and build capacities in emerging areas such as translational bioinformatics, bioethics etc.
• • NBM is an industry- academia collaborative mission launched by Department of Bio-technology.
• • The Mission has been approved at a total cost of US$250 million for five years with 50% funding through World Bank Loan.
• • The mission will be implemented by BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) - a Public Sector Undertaking of Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• • It will include the World Bank assisted INNOVATE IN INDIA (i3) program to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector.
• • Private sector, Government and Academia are together considered as the triple helix of medical innovation which can spur the much required development of Biopharma. 
• 39.6. BIOTECH-KISAN [KRISHI INNOVATION SCIENCE APPLICATION NETWORK]
• • Linking available science and technology to the farm by first understanding the problem of the local farmer related to water, soil, seed and marketing and provide solutions to those problems.
• Scientists will work in sync with farmers to understand problem and find solutions
• • Mahila KISAN Biotech- fellowships, for training and education in farm practices for women farmers.
• • The working together, in close conjunction, of scientists and farmers is the only way to improve the working conditions of small and marginal farmers.
• • To work with small and marginal farmers especially the woman farmer for better agriculture productivity through scientific intervention and evolving best farming practices in the Indian context.
• • The Program will provide support to following components:
• o The Hub: Biotech-KISAN Hub will be established in each of 15 agro-climatic zones under the leadership of a champion, who will act as a Facilitator. A strong network of top quality scientific institutions/ Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)/other Farmers’ organizations in the region and leading international institutions will be developed. Biotech-KISAN Hub will have a tinkering laboratory.
• o International Training: Short-term Training (STT) Programmes will be developed by DBT in partnership with international organisations / universities for farmers
• o Partnering Institutes: to Conduct training programmes for farmers in laboratories of scientific research Institutions and for scientists in agricultural farms
• o Research Projects: for additional funding.
• • The scheme will also support women farmers in developing small enterprises.
• • It will use hubs and spoke model to connect farmers with scientists and institutions.
• • Financial incentives will be provided to the hub (60 lakh/year for initial 2 years and on the basis of a review for additional 3 years) and to the partnering Institutes (5 lakh/year). 
• 39.7. CATTLE GENOMICS SCHEME
• • To predict breeding values of animal, using DNA level information with performance record, more accurately and identify genetic worth of animal (elite animal) at an early age.
• • Genome sequencing of indigenous cattle breeds from all registered cattle breeds of India.
• • To address the effect of Climate Change over Livestock and get benefit from increasing demand for animal food products.
• • Genomic selection of Hardy Livestock to ensure production of high yielding, disease resistant, resilient livestock.
• • High-density DNA chips will be developed to reduce the cost and time interval for future breeding programs and enhance the productivity of indigenous cattle.
• • National Institute of Animal Biotechnology is the implementing agency. 
• 39.8. INSPIRE (INNOVATION IN SCIENCE PURSUIT FOR INSPIRED RESEARCH) SCHEME
• • to attract young students to study science and pursue research career
• • to promote creative thinking and foster a culture of innovation among children.
• • to attract, attach, retain and nourish talented young scientific Human Resource for strengthening the R&D foundation and base.
• • INSPIRE has three components:
• o Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS) aims at attracting talented youth to study science by providing INSPIRE Award, to experience the joy of innovations, of Rs.5,000/- to one million young learners in the age group 10-15 years. There shall be annual Summer/Winter Camps for about 50,000 youth at more than 100 locations, for toppers in Class X board examinations for exposure with global leaders in Science, through INSPIRE Internship.
• o Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) offers 10,000 Scholarship every year at Rs 0.80 lakh per year for the talented youth in the age group 17-22 years, for undertaking Bachelor and Masters level education in natural sciences. The main feature of the scheme is the mentorship support provided to every scholar.
• o Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC) has two sub-components. In the first component i.e. INSPIRE Fellowship (age group of 22-27 years), it offers 1000 fellowships every year. In the second component i.e. INSPIRE Faculty Scheme, it offers assured opportunity every year for 1000 post- doctoral researchers in the age group of 27-32 years.
• • It does not believe in conducting competitive exams for identification of talent at any level. It believes in and relies on the efficacy of the existing educational structure for identification of talent.
• 39.9. INTEGRATED CYBER PHYSICAL SYSTEMS PROGRAM
• • To encourage the interdisciplinary approach in academia
• • To encourage greater synergy between the university scientists and industry.
• • Broad research thematic areas under the Program are:
• o Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems Research (ICPSR)
• o Data Science Research (DSR)
• o Internet of Things Research (IoTR)
• o Cyber Security Research (CSR)
• o Indian Heritage in Digital Space (IHDS)
• o Epidemiology data & Analytics (EDA)
• • Systems for practical applications in the areas of Water, Energy, Healthcare, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Transport, and Security of Physical Systems will be developed.
• • CPS is an interdisciplinary field that deals with the deployment of computer-based systems that do things in the physical world. For example, self-driven cars Autonomous unmanned vehicles (UAVs) and aircraft navigation systems
• • Centres of excellence will be developed at IITs and Universities.
• • Quantum Information Science and Technology (QuST) is a mission mode Scheme under this programme for R&D in Quantum technologies and computers. 
• 39.10. NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
• To address technology development, application development, human resource development & skill enhancement, entrepreneurship and start-up development in CPS and associated technologies.
• • The mission aims at establishment of 15 numbers of Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH), six numbers of Application Innovation Hubs (AIH) and four numbers of Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRP).
• • These Hubs & TTRPs will connect to Academics, Industry, Central Ministries and State Government in developing solutions at reputed academic, R&D and other organizations across the country in a hub and spoke model.
• • The mission implementation would develop and bring:
• ✓ Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and associated technologies within reach in the country,
• ✓ adoption of CPS technologies to address India specific National / Regional issues,
• ✓ produce Next Generation skilled manpower in CPS,
• ✓ catalyze Translational Research,
• ✓ accelerate entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem development in CPS,
• ✓ give impetus to advanced research in CPS, Technology development and higher education in Science, Technology and Engineering disciplines, and
• ✓ place India at par with other advanced countries and derive several direct and indirect benefits.
• 39.11. ATAL JAI ANUSANDHAN BIOTECH MISSION- UNDERTAKING NATIONALLY RELEVANT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION (UNATI)
• To transform Health, Agriculture and Energy sectors during the next 5 years.
• • The Department of biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology has launched the Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI). This mission includes:
• o GARBH-ini: A Mission to promote Maternal and Child Health and develop prediction tools for pre-term berth,
• o IndCEPI: A Mission to develop affordable vaccines for endemic diseases,
• o Development of Biofortified and Protein Rich wheat contributing to POSHAN Abhiyan,
• o Mission on Anti Microbial Resistance for Affordable Diagnostics and Therapeutics
• o Clean Energy Mission- Innovative Technology interventions for Swachh Bharat.
• 39.12. OTHER SCHEMES
• Scientific Utilisation Through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows (SUTRA PIC)
• • It is inter-Ministerial funding program to research on ‘indigenous' cows.
• • It has been planned with the support of Ministry of Science & Technology along with Council of Scientific & industrial Research, Ministry of Ayush, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy etc.
• • It has various themes including uniqueness of Indigenous Cows, prime products from Indigenous Cows for: Medicine and Health, Agricultural Applications, Food and Nutrition, and prime products from indigenous cows-based utility items.
• TARE (Teacher Associateship for Research Excellence) Mobility Scheme
• It aims to activate the latent and unused R&D capacity in colleges and state universities that lack S&T infrastructure and culture. The TARE scheme will allow undertaking of part-time research by the faculty working in a regular capacity in State Universities or Colleges including private Academic Institutions by integrating them in Academic Institutions such as IITs, IISc, IISERs, National labs, etc. located in the same city where the faculty member is working.
• AWSAR (Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research)
• The scheme aims to encourage popular science writing through newspapers, magazines, blogs, social media, etc. by young PhD Scholars and Post-Doctoral Fellows during the course of their higher studies and research pursuits.
• Pt Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana
• Under this program few clusters of villages in Uttarakhand will be adopted by DST and will be made self-sustainable in time bound manner through tools of S&T. The project will give emphasis to practice of agriculture, agro-based cottage industries and animal husbandry in an eco-friendly manner.
• Initiative to Promote Habitat Energy Efficiency (I-PHEE)
• A new national programme to improve energy performance of buildings and cities. It would support enhancement of knowledge and practice to save energy in design, construction and operation of buildings.
• NIDHI (National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovations)
• • NIDHI works towards nurturing knowledge-based and technology-driven ideas and innovations into successful start-ups.
• • It also aims to provide technological solutions to the pressing needs of the society and create new avenues for wealth and job creation.
• Components of NIDHI that support each stage of a budding start-up are:
• • PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators & Start- ups) aims to support innovators to build prototypes of their ideas by providing a grant up to Rs.10 lakhs and an access to Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab).
• • The Seed Support System which provides up to One Crore rupees per start-up and is implemented through Technology Business Incubators.
• Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme
• • It is a dedicated program exclusively for overseas scientists and academicians with emphasis on Non-resident Indians (NRI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) / Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to participate and contribute to research and development (R&D) in India by working as adjunct / visiting faculty in Indian Public funded academic and research institutions for a specific duration.
• • The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department will implement the Scheme.
• • VAJRA faculty will undertake research in S&T priority areas.The VAJRA faculty will engage in collaborative research in public funded institutions.
• • The residency period of the VAJRA Faculty in India would be for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months a year.
• • This scheme is open to overseas scientist / faculty /R&D professional including NRI and PIO / OCI.
• Mission on Nano Science and Technology (Nano Mission)
• • Ministry of Science and Technology launched the Nano Mission in 2007 as an "umbrella capacity-building programme".
• • The Mission's programmes will target all scientists, institutions and industry in the country.
• • It will also strengthen activities in nano science and technology by promoting basic research, human resource development, research infrastructure development, international collaborations, orchestration of national dialogues and nano applications and technology development.
• • It is steered by a Nano Mission Council chaired by an eminent scientist.
• • Recently, phase II of the mission has been launched
• Sophisticated Analytical &Technical Help Institute (SATHI) Initiative
• • The Department of Science and Technology (DST)is setting up a shared, professionally managed, Science and Technology infrastructure facility, which can be readily be accessible to academia, start-ups, manufacturing units, industries and R&D Labs.
• • Such S&T infrastructure will be known as SATHI. These Centres will be equipped with major analytical instrument and advanced manufacturing facility, which is usually not available at Institutes / Organisations.
• Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA) Scheme
• • It has been developed by Science and Engineering Research Board which is a statutory body under Department of Science and Technology to promote and fund research in different scientific disciplines.
• • It has sole objective of funding exploration of new scientific and engineering breakthroughs with global impact with long-term impact on our fundamental scientific understanding.
• • It is designed to attract high quality research proposals consisting of new hypotheses or challenge existing ones and provide ‘out-of-box’ solutions.
• • Funding will be provided normally for a period of three years, which could be extended to 2 years (5 years total) as assessed by an expert committee.
• KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing)
• • It is the women-exclusive scheme of DST with the mandate to bring gender parity in S&T through gender mainstreaming.
• • Different programs and components of KIRAN like Women Scientist Scheme-A (WOS-A), Women Scientist Scheme-B (WOS-B) deal with various crucial issues (break in career primarily due to family responsibilities, self employment, part time career, relocation and so on) faced by women scientists in their career path.
• IndiGen Genome project
• • It aims to undertake whole genome sequencing of Indian individuals representing diverse ethnic groups and to create a pilot dataset to enable genetic epidemiology of carrier genetic diseases towards enabling affordable carrier screening approaches in India.
• • IndiGenome card and accompanying IndiGen mobile application that enables participants and clinicians to access clinically actionable information in their genomes.
• • Whole genome data will be important for building the knowhow, baseline data and indigenous capacity in the emerging area of Precision Medicine. The outcomes of the IndiGen will have applications in a number of areas including predictive and preventive medicine with faster and efficient diagnosis of rare genetic diseases
• • The human genome data sets would also be utilized for prioritizing Pharmacogenomics variants specific for Indian population for optimizing therapy and minimizing adverse events.
• • IndiGen is funded by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). CSIR has conducted Whole Genome Sequencing of 1,008 Indians from different populations across the country.