It is a happy coincidence that soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, the Union Cabinetapproved the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) was set up in the US in 1950 to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare and national defence.

NSF supports basic research at colleges, universities and other organisations across the US.

The NRF Bill, after it is passed by Parliament, is expected to establish an apex body to provide “high-level strategic direction” to scientific research in the country as envisaged in the National Education Policy (NEP).

However, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) established by Parliament in 2008 will be subsumed into the NRF. With the aim to bring higher education institutions (HEIs), research institutions, industry, research laboratories on board in order to work collaboratively, NRF may prove to be a game changer.

The NRF will have an initial budget of ₹50,000 crore over a five-year period, of which ₹36,000 crore is expected from industrial sponsorship leading to a 50:50 funding model between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and industry.

Industry funding

This funding model will give a massive fillip to financially sustain the NRF scheme on long term, given India’s present private and public funding on R&D ($15 billion US dollar) less than 0.7 per cent of its GDP as against the global average of about 1.8 per cent.

Private sector funding for it may also emerge from its CSR. Notably, besides promoting research in natural and applied sciences, the NRF will also fund research in social sciences, arts, and humanities.

According to the All India Survey for Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-21, out of 1,099 universities, 475 are located in hinterland and 403 are State universities with meagre resources for research.

Out of these universities, 56 per cent are general in nature, 17 per cent Technical, 6 per cent Agriculture, 6 per cent Medical and 5 per cent Management. Besides, there are 16 Open Universities, with One Central Open University, 14 State Open Universities and one State Private Open University. There are 314 Universities which have 43,796 affiliated colleges. Most colleges run only undergraduate programmes. Only 2.9 per cent of colleges run Ph.D. level programmes and 55.2 per cent postgraduate programmes.

Nearly 65-70 per cent of research funding goes to IITs, IISc, IISERs and other centrally funded institutes, while State-funded universities get a paltry share.

The proposed NRF Bill has a potential to bridge this gap of unequal distribution of research funding and help to bring more funds to State funded HEIs.

At Ph.D. level, maximum number of students are enrolled in Engineering and Technology stream closely followed by Science, the stimulus in the form of NRF to State universities would certainly bolster the real world research based on local issues and challenges.

Boosting infra

The NRF may boost research infrastructure in polytechnics and ITIs in union territories, where no universities exist.

As immense potential for skill development lies in such standalone institutions, chances to create intellectual capital to benefit local economies would be promising. It is now incumbent on the State HEIs to grab this opportunity and take advantage to build capacity to create R&D infrastructure. It shall also pave the way to create level playing field for State HEIs while participating at National and International rankings.

However, the NRF’s success depends on its implementation. Participation of States and wider representation of State funded universities in the NRF governing body and executive council would help to make it more transparent and democratic. Also, a lot would depend on the industry response on its participation.

The writer teaches Engg at MBM University, Jodhpur. Views expressed are personal

Published on July 25, 2023