Page 4 - Research

India becoming global research powerhouse: Principal scientific advisor

India is rapidly becoming a global research powerhouse and is poised to become a global leader in biotechnology, Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, said on Thursday, citing the nation's rapid advancements in research and innovation. Speaking at the Global Bio-India 2024 Summit, Sood emphasized India's rise as a pivotal hub for technological excellence, particularly in biological manufacturing and biofuels. "India is rapidly becoming a global research powerhouse," Sood said, referencing a recent report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) that ranked India among the top five countries in 45 out of 64 technologies, a significant increase from 37 technologies last year. Sood said India is poised to become a global leader in biotechnology and noted this progress is especially visible in biological manufacturing, where India now holds the second position globally. "This is really encouraging and a very pleasing aspect," he added, attributi

Lam Research expands virtual semiconductor training to 20 Indian varsities

The virtual semiconductor training programme aims to train more than 60000 students over next decade

PM Modi chairs first governing board meeting of newly formed ANRF

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired the first governing board meeting of the newly formed Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), officials said. The meeting of the foundation, which will act as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction towards scientific research in accordance with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), was attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Senior officials, including the government's principal scientific advisor Ajay Kumar Sood, also participated. The ANRF aims to seed, grow and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India's universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.

PM stresses need to identify, remove obstacles in research ecosystem

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed the need to identify and remove obstacles in the research ecosystem and focus on localised solution to global problems, as he chaired the first governing body meeting of the newly formed Anusandhan National Research Foundation. Modi also talked about developing a dashboard where information related to research and development happening in the country could be easily tracked. The meeting focussed on discussions about India's science and technology landscape and redesigning of research and development programmes, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. During the meeting, Modi said a new beginning had been made with the first meeting of the governing body of Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). He stressed on the need to identify and remove obstacles in the country's research ecosystem. Modi also talked about setting big targets, focusing on attaining them and conducting pathbreaking research. He said

AAP labels GST on research grants as 'tax terrorism', seeks withdrawal

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) slammed the BJP-led central government on Saturday over the imposition of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on research grants, describing the move as "tax terrorism". The party also demanded a withdrawal of the tax on research grants. For the first time in history, a government is imposing a tax on grants received by research institutes, AAP general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said at a press conference. The Modi government has issued a notice to all institutes, proposing to impose GST on research grants received since 2017, he said, adding that it was a double layer of taxation since a part of the grants is used on consumables and equipment that are already taxed. Research grants are not taxed in any developed or developing country such as the USA, the UK, Germany, South Korea or Singapore. Imposing GST on research being done for the development of mankind and the country is "tax terrorism", Pathak charged. The Rajya Sabha MP also lashed out at t

Encourage research in education; change the way women are seen: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday stressed the need to encourage research in the education system, and said research scholars in India are capable of finding solutions to the problems not only faced by the country but by the world. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 gives impetus to research, she noted while addressing the 21st convocation ceremony at Symbiosis International (Deemed University) in Pune. Murmu also urged students to pursue excellence and not to equate success with material possessions like money, a big house or a car. "I am confident that the young generation is working hard towards the development of the country. People of the country possess a lot of talent and skill. "I want you to understand the requirements of the society and using your knowledge, come up with solutions that can help in the development of the masses, especially those who are marginalised, and it can encourage sustainability," the President said. Through the government schemes, like ...

Research should be encouraged in education system, says President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday stressed the need to encourage research in the education system, and said research scholars in India are capable of finding solutions to the problems not only faced by the country but by the world. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 gives impetus to research, she noted. The president was speaking at the 21st convocation ceremony at the Symbiosis International (Deemed University) here. "I am confident that the young generation is working hard towards the development of the country. People of the country possess a lot of talent and skill. I want you to understand the requirements of the society and using your knowledge, come up with solutions that can help in the development of the masses, especially those who are marginalised, and it can encourage sustainability," Murmu said. Through the government schemes, like Start-Up India, Skill India and Stand-Up India, the young generation can achieve its aims, she said. "I would like to tell everyon

US govt funding yields hundreds of patents for China-based researchers

According to the patent office, the agency granted 1,020 patents from 2010 through the first quarter of 2024 that were both funded at least in part by the US government

EU, India announce joint funding initiative to foster research cooperation

This new partnership will strengthen research and innovation ties between Europe and India and drive forward scientific and technological progress

Adoption of artificial intelligence in Indian health care on the rise

Use of AI can reduce drug discovery costs, achieve faster time to market, and improve clinical success

IIT-Delhi gets notice for Rs 120-cr GST on research funds, given 30 days

The notice demands Rs 120 crore in GST from the premier institute on research funding acquired between 2017 and 2022, as well as interest and penalties

Meta shuts CrowdTangle: Why it's bad for fight against misinformation

But earlier this week, the owner of CrowdTangle, Meta, shut the tool down. The tech giant has replaced it with its new Content Library, which it says will serve the same purpose

Scientists make progress in cancer research onboard ISS, NASA announces

Nasa scientists, doctors and researchers are involved in the White House's Cancer Moonshot initiative that aims to cut national cancer rates by at least 50 per cent over the next 25 years

Research, infra allocation will boost innovation in steel sector: ISA

The increased funding for R&D announced in the Budget and the support extended to startups and MSMEs will foster innovation in steel manufacturing, the apex industry association said on Wednesday. Further, the allocation of Rs 11.11 lakh crore is set to enhance national infrastructure, create millions of jobs, and directly benefit the steel industry, the Indian Steel Association (ISA) said in a statement. In her Budget speech on Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a slew of measures for sectors, including infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, education, startups, and green energy, among others. The Budget's strong emphasis on roads, railways, ports, and urban development will not only generate employment but also improve overall productivity. The increased funding for R&D and the support extended to startups and MSMEs will foster innovation in steel manufacturing, the ISA said. Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) Chairman Naveen Jindal said, "The ...

'India 3rd in female researchers' growth; global equality remains elusive'

India ranks third in the growth rate of women researchers, according to a report from scientific information disseminator Elsevier, which also underlined that gender equality in the domain remains "unacceptably far away" globally. At two per cent, India's yearly growth rate of women's share of active researchers over the last decade was the third highest, behind Egypt and The Netherlands only, the report titled 'Progress Towards Gender Equality in Research and Innovation - 2024 Review' said. Analysing inclusion and diversity across disciplines and geographies over 20 years, the report found that in India, women now make up 33 per cent of active researchers, compared to 22 per cent in Japan and 30 per cent in Egypt. India is now the world's third largest research producing country, it said. "India's rapid growth in women researchers highlights the ongoing gender equity efforts and are truly encouraging," said Prof Sandeep Sancheti, Vice President of Research Relations & Academic ...

Aliens might be living among us disguised as humans, claims Harvard Study

A Harvard research claims that UFOs might be visiting Earth to meet their alien friends living with us. The study explores four theories of aliens living near humans

Will work on boosting research, innovation in third term, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the qualitative changes in India's education sector are reflected in the QS World University Ranking and his government will work on further boosting research and innovation in the third term. "Over the last decade, we have focused on qualitative changes in the education sector. This is reflected in the QS World University Rankings. Compliments to the students, faculty and institutions for their hard work and dedication. In this term, we want to do even more to boost research and innovation," the PM wrote on X. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) Bombay and Delhi are among the top 150 universities in the world, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained the top rank globally for the 13th time, according to the QS World University Ranking-2025 announced on Wednesday. While IIT Bombay climbed from 149 last year to 118, up by 31 ranks, IIT Delhi improved its rank by 47 points to bag the 150th position ...

Sea surface temp of Indian Ocean may help predict dengue outbreaks: Study

Abnormal trends in sea surface temperatures of the Indian Ocean could help predict trends in global dengue epidemics, including case numbers and how they might change with time, according to new research. Scientists said that these observed abnormal temperatures, which are a 'climate indicator', could help enhance the forecasting and planning for outbreak responses. Currently, precipitation and temperature are some of the climate indicators that are being used as early warning systems to forecast disease trends such as dengue, they said. The team, including researchers from Beijing Normal University, China, explained that, for example, events associated with warmer sea surface temperatures, driven by El Nino, are known to influence how dengue is transmitted around the world by affecting mosquito breeding. Being able to predict the risk of outbreaks and prepare for them can be crucial for many regions, especially those where the mosquito-borne disease is endemic, or constantly ...

India to formally convey to ATCM plans to built Antarctica research station

India will formally convey to the governing authority of Antarctica its plans to develop a new research station in the icy continent when the body meets for its annual meeting in Kochi later this month. The 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environment Protection will be held in Kochi from May 20-30 where countries engaged in research in the southern polar region will share the outcome of their scientific pursuits and also their future plans. "This year, we are going to inform the ATCM that we are planning to go for a revamp of our research station Maitri. Revamp means, Maitri is very old, we have to re-construct," M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said in an interaction with PTI Editors here. India has two active research stations Maitri and Bharti - in Antarctica. The first research station, Dakshin Gangotri, set up in 1983, had to be abandoned after it sank in the snow. Among the scientific community

DPIIT to engage with research firm to prepare logistics report for 3 yrs

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is planning to engage a research firm to prepare the Logistics Ease Across Different States and Union Territories for the next three years. Every year, the department releases a Logistics Ease Across Different State (LEADS) report, ranking states and Union Territories (UTs) on the basis of their logistics ecosystem and highlights the key logistics-related challenges faced by stakeholders and includes suggestive recommendations. The index is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports and economic growth. The DPIIT has floated a request for proposal for the appointment of consultant for ranking of states on the basis of their logistics efficiency (LEADS report for 2024, 2025, and 2026). "The DPIIT intends to engage a research organisation/consulting or market research firm/academic institution (Consultant) with experience in preparing national/international level reports bas