In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet has approved the merger of the Department of Science and Technology's three central schemes into a new scheme, ‘Vigyan Dhara’.
According to the government, the scheme has been merged to avoid overlapping funding, encourage utilisation efficiency, and establish synchronisation among the sub-schemes.
The Department of Science and Technology is under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
The Department is the nodal body that organises, coordinates and promotes science and technology in the country.
The three schemes merged into Vigyan Dhara will continue as components of the new scheme.
The merged scheme as the components of the ‘Vigyan Dhara’ scheme are:
Vigyan Dhara Scheme will formulate five-year plans to realise the government's goal of Vikshit Bharat 2024.
The scheme's research and development component will align with the objectives of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
The ANRF was established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) 2023 Act. It focuses on seeding, growing, and promoting research and development (R&D) and developing a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s Higher Educational Institutions, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.
The main aim of the Vigyan Dhara Scheme is to