Table of Contents
NOTES
HRD Ministry launches IMPRESS Scheme to promote Research in Social Sciences Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences The government support would include a total funding of Rs.414 crore on 1500 projects for policy themes in the social sciences at the cost of Rs. 20-25 Lakh per project.
THEME PROJECTS
Under the scheme, support is to be provided for projects on 11 broad thematic areas as follows: State and Democracy Urban transformation, Media, Culture and Society Employment, Skills and Rural transformation Governance, Innovation and Public Policy Growth, Macro-trade and Economic Policy Agriculture and Rural Development Health and Environment Science and Education Social Media and Technology Politics, Law and Economics.
NODAL AGENCY
The Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) will be the project implementing agency.
SPARC SCHEME
Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration On October 25, 2018, the Union Ministry of HRD has launched Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) scheme, which aims to improve the research ecosystem of India’s higher educational institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world.
FEATURES OF THE SCHEME
- Under the scheme 600, joint research proposals will be awarded for 2 years.
- The scheme will facilitate strong research collaboration between Indian research groups with the best in class faculty and renowned research groups in the leading universities of the world, in areas that are at the cutting edge of science or with direct social relevance to the mankind, specifically India.
THRUST AREAS
- The scheme will improve the research ecosystem of India’s higher educational institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world to jointly solve problems of national and international relevance.
Five thrust areas identified are as follows:
- Fundamental Research.
- Emergent Areas of Impact.
- Convergence
- Action-Oriented Research
- Innovation-Driven
NODAL AGENCY
IIT-Kharagpur is the national Coordinating Institute to implement the SPARC programme.