Accelerate Vigyan Scheme

• 10 Feb 2022

Why in News?

Recently, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), has invited applications under ‘ABHYAAS’, a program of ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ scheme, for summer season.

• SERB is an autonomous body of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Union Ministry of Science & Technology..

What is the Accelerate Vigyan Scheme?

• "Accelerate Vigyan" (AV) strives to provide a big push to high-end scientific research and prepare a scientific workforce, which can venture into research careers and a knowledge-based economy.
• AV aims to expand the research base in the country, with three broad goals — consolidation / aggregation of all scientific training programs, initiating high-end orientation workshops and creating opportunities for training and skill internships.

What are the Components of the Accelerate Vigyan Scheme?

• ABHYAAS:
  
  • It is a program of AV scheme, is an attempt to boost research and development in the country by enabling and grooming potential postgraduate / PhD students by developing dedicated research skills in selected areas / disciplines / fields through its two components — high-end workshops (“KAARYASHALA”) and Training and Skill Internship (“VRITIKA”).
    
    • This is especially important for researchers with limited opportunities to access such learning capacities / facilities / infrastructure.
• SAMMOHAN: It has been sub-divided into SAYONJIKA and SANGOSHTI.
  
  • SAYONJIKA is an open-ended program to catalogue capacity building activities in science and technology supported by all government funding agencies in the country.
  • SANGOSHTI is a pre-existing program of SERB for the organisation of workshops.

How are such Steps Helpful?

• Capacity Building: The database of skilled manpower developed across different disciplines through all the sub-components of the AV would help in capacity building.
• Social Responsibility: The scheme also seeks to garner the social responsibility of the scientific community in the country.

What are the Initiatives taken to boost S&T in Budget 2022-23?

• An outlay of Rs 50,000 crore was announced spread over five years, for National Research Foundation.
  
  • It will ensure that the overall research ecosystem of the country is strengthened with focus on identified national-priority thrust areas.
• The budget also declared the setting up of umbrella structures in nine cities for building better synergies among R&D institutions, Universities and Colleges supported by the government while also retaining their internal autonomy.
  
  • This will be coordinated by the Ministry of Education, and a Glue Grant will be set aside for this purpose.
  • The Department of Biotechnology is implementing the URJIT clusters (University Research Joint Industry Translation Clusters) which are being set up in 10 locations as per the Budget Announcement in February 2020.
  • These will complement the activities of the Umbrella Structures.

Source: DTE