In an unstarred query within the Lok Sabha, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari requested whether or not the Centre has undertaken any initiatives to advertise scientific research, innovation hubs and expertise incubation centres in Chandigarh.
Replying, Union minister of state for science and expertise Jitendra Singh mentioned the Government of India has promoted scientific research, innovation and startup incubation throughout the nation, together with Chandigarh, by way of varied programmes and schemes of division of science and expertise (DST), division of biotechnology (DBT), council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR), Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), and Startup India initiative.
MP Tewari additional requested whether or not establishments in Chandigarh have acquired funding underneath varied schemes. To which, Singh replied, the DBT over the past 5 years, has supported 35 R&D tasks in Chandigarh. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a PSU of DBT, has established a BioNEST bio-incubator and an E-YUVA Centre at Panjab University. BIRAC has additionally supported seven start-ups underneath the Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme and a couple of start-ups underneath the Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) fund in Chandigarh. The ANRF, in the meantime, has supported eight tasks with funding of round ₹19.70 crore.
Key initiatives embrace the institution of a Centre of Excellence in Waste Management Technologies at Chitkara University and Technology Enabling Centres at Panjab University and Chitkara University. A Biomedical Instruments and Devices Hub has additionally been arrange at PGIMER to spice up translational research.
Reacting to the figures, MP Tewari mentioned the general spending in Chandigarh remained “very meagre.” He famous that the division of biotechnology had spent roughly ₹32 crore and the DST about ₹52 crore over the previous 5 years. “Cumulatively, this translates to around ₹17–18 crore annually, which is a very modest amount. Globally, government support for research hubs runs into billions of dollars,” Tewari mentioned. He additional identified the shortage of great funding in fourth industrial revolution applied sciences reminiscent of robotics, genomics, synthetic intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductor research, and the Internet of Things.
The Centre, nonetheless, maintained that it has taken steps to reinforce trade–academia collaboration by way of incubators, startup help programmes, and mission-driven initiatives in sectors reminiscent of electrical autos, MedTech, and synthetic intelligence.
While funding is prolonged based mostly on merit-driven proposals, the information means that Chandigarh’s evolution as a serious research and innovation hub stays gradual relatively than transformative.