NEW DELHI: In a significant step aimed at encouraging the best talent to take up research, the government is planning to implement Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship scheme for IIT students from the next academic session. Over 1,000 IIT pass outs will get the fellowship for research.
According to sources, the IIT Council will meet on Tuesday and is likely to take up the fellowship issue and the ways to implement it from the next academic year. Sources said the main objective of the fellowship is to encourage the best talents in the IITs to go for further research in their respective field. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched ‘Imprint India’ in November last year to provide a platform to scientific research in the Country. The `1,000-crore-project was launched to reduce the foreign research dependency in various scientific sectors.
“A government panel headed by eminent scientist Anil Kakodkar had recommended that third year students of IITs and NITs should be initiated into PhD programmes. There is a need to identify and encourage the best talents in IITs for quality research. The government has decided to discuss the issue for raising the overall standard of research and innovation in the country,” sources said. B Tech fourth year students, registered for PhD, will be eligible for the proposed fellowship. The students will be required to submit a proposal outlining the research project. The panels constituted by IIT Board will select the beneficiaries.