Important Facts For Prelims
50th Foundation Day of DST
- 06 May 2020
- 3 min read
Why in News
Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) conducted a webinar on ‘Fighting Corona - Leveraging Scientific Research & Innovation’ on the occasion of its 50th foundation day.
- The webinar also mentioned some of the schemes implemented by the DST namely, SUPRA, IRHPA, NIDHI, SATHI and MANAK.
Schemes
- SUPRA: The Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA) intends to fund exploration of new scientific and engineering breakthroughs with global impact.
- IRHPA: The Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas (IRHPA) program of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) supports proposals in high priority areas from the viewpoint of advances in fundamental science.
- SERB was set up as a statutory body in 2009 under the Department of Science and Technology to promote and fund research in different scientific disciplines.
- NIDHI Scheme: National Initiative For Developing And Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) is an end to end plan for startups to double the number of incubators and startups in the duration of five years.
- MANAK Scheme: MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) intends to trigger innovations from annually 10 lakh school children throughout the country to convert their ideas into prototypes, preparing the children for challenges of future like innovation and entrepreneurship and helping them harness the power of their ideas.
- SATHI Scheme: Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes (SATHI) intends to create centres housing equipment dedicated to the needs of MSMEs and startups for rapid prototyping developed at the cost of Rs 125 crore each to connect industry with academia.
Department of Science and Technology
- The foundation of DST was laid on 3rd May 1971 along the model of National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.
- It provides funding and also makes policies and co-ordinates scientific work with other countries.
- It empowers scientists and scientific institutions and also works with a highly distributed system permeating stakeholders ranging from school college, PhD, Postdoc students, young scientists, startups and NGOs working in Science & Technology.
- DST’s budget has increased over the years by 100%, which has allowed initiation of new programmes in a wide range of areas.
