Overview The INSPIRE Scheme, administered by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), aims to attract bright youth to basic and natural sciences and build a robust R&D base. It operates through five inter‑linked components that support students from Class VI to post‑doctoral researchers. Key Developments (2021‑2026) INSPIRE‑MANAK : Schools nominate up to five students (age 10‑17) via the e‑MIAS portal. Selected candidates receive ₹10,000 (DBT) to develop projects and showcase them at district, state and national levels. INSPIRE Internship : Five‑day residential science camps for the top 1% of Class X students (~50,000 annually), featuring interactions with eminent scientists and Nobel Laureates. Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) : Up to ₹80,000 per annum for 12,000 students (age 17‑22) pursuing B.Sc./M.Sc. in basic sciences, coupled with mentorship. INSPIRE Fellowship (PhD) : Monthly stipend equivalent to CSIR‑UGC NET ( ₹37,000 as JRF, ₹42,000 as SRF) plus HRA and a contingency grant of ₹20,000 per year for up to five years. INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship : Five‑year post‑doctoral fellowship for early‑career researchers (age 27‑32) with a monthly honorarium of ₹1,25,000 , annual increments and a research grant of ₹35 lakh . Important Facts (Last Five Years) Total funds allocated, released and utilized are detailed in the official tables (figures in crore rupees). Number of schools registered on e‑MIAS across states/UTs is provided (tables omitted for brevity). Uttar Pradesh has 73,873 government schools on the portal; 10,988 students from these schools received MANAK awards. From UP, 93 project ideas received prototype funding; 10 were filed for patents and 3 patents have been granted. UPSC Relevance Understanding the INSPIRE Scheme is essential for GS‑III (Science &amp