Overview: On 10 September 2024, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the inaugural meeting of the Governing Board of the ANRF. The Board outlined a comprehensive strategy to align research with national priorities, promote inclusive growth, and bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Key Developments
- Launch of the MAHA programme covering EV Mission, 2D Innovation Hub, MedTech Mission, AI for Science & Engineering and CRM Research.
- Introduction of broad‑based grant schemes: ARG, Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG), and Inclusivity Research Grant (IRG).
- Establishment of CoE to foster cross‑disciplinary solutions.
- Creation of the Centre of Excellence for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators and Analytics (COE‑STIIA).
- Roll‑out of the PAIR programme (Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research) to mentor nascent state universities through a hub‑and‑spoke model.
- Launch of ATRI centres to move technologies from TRL‑4 to TRL‑7.
- Introduction of talent‑retention schemes: National Post‑Doctoral Fellowship (NPDF), Ramanujan Fellowship, National Science Chair, JC Bose Grant and Prime Minister Professorship.
Important Facts & Projects
- Development and Demonstration of Materials and Fabrication Technologies for Tropical Batteries – INR 68.38 crore – International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad.
- Te‑MobiX: Safe and Degradation‑controlled Batteries for Tropical e‑Mobility – INR 47.77 crore – IIT (BHU), Varanasi.
- Grid Readiness for EV (GREET) – INR 47.45 crore – IIT Kanpur.
- E‑RIDES: Indigenous EV Sub‑systems – INR 56.56 crore – IIT Bombay.
- Wireless Chargers for EVs – INR 18.37 crore – IIT Kharagpur.
- Rare‑Earth‑Free Motors for EVs – INR 7.76 crore – NIT Karnataka, Surathkal.
- Wide‑Bandgap Semiconductor Power Electronics for EVs – INR 18.41 crore – CSIR‑CEERI, Pilani.
Exam Relevance
The initiatives illustrate how the government is restructuring the research ecosystem to achieve self‑reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in strategic technologies. Understanding these programmes helps answer GS‑3 questions on Science & Technology policy, innovation ecosystems, and the role of public funding. The focus on EVs, AI, and MedTech aligns with India’s climate commitments and health priorities, linking to GS‑2 (policy) and GS‑4 (ethics of inclusive research).
Way Forward
- Strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure timely delivery of grant outcomes.
- Encourage greater industry participation in CoE projects for faster commercialization.
- Scale successful pilot missions (e.g., EV Mission) to regional and national levels.
- Integrate STI indicators from COE‑STIIA into policy‑making dashboards for evidence‑based decisions.