Will start research fellowship scheme from this year: Javadekar

The HRD Ministry on Thursday said the Prime Minister Research Fellowship scheme will be implemented from the coming academic session, under which 1,000 meritorious B.Tech students will get monthly scholarships of Rs 70,000 and a one-time research grant of Rs 2 lakh.

The scheme -- allocated Rs 1,650 crore for the first seven years -- was given Cabinet approval on Wednesday.

"The scholarship will be for research in frontier areas -- intelligence, nanotechnology etc... this is the most ambitious scheme... this is the biggest scholarship for research being provided to the brightest of the brightest. At present, the maximum amount any research scholarship gives is Rs 28,000," Javadekar said.

He said scholarship holders would also be exempted from doing master's and would be allowed to enrol directly for Ph.D.

"Under this scheme, the best students who have completed or are in the final year of B. Tech or Integrated M.Tech or M.Sc. in Science and Technology streams from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/IIITs will be offered direct admission in Ph.D. programme in the IITs or IISc", the government had said earlier.

"Only those countries advance which are innovating. We are not an innovating country... Our attempt is to turn the 'brain drain' into 'brain gain', which we will achieve by providing guidance, research facilities and scholarships -- things for which our students go to foreign shores," said the Minister.

He said 3,000 students will be given the scholarship in the first three years, 4,000 in the fourth year, and thereafter at anytime about 4,000-5,000 students will be availing of this scholarship.

To be eligible for the scholarship a student must at least achieve a cumulative grade point average of 8.0, in addition to a cutting-edge idea for research.

--IANS

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