Rs 1,650 cr allocated for PM’s research fellows

Girja Shankar Kaura

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 7

The Centre today approved implementation of “Prime Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF)” scheme at a total cost of Rs 1,650 crore for a period of seven years beginning 2018-19.

The scheme will provide Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 per month to students pursuing PhDs in IITs and IISc.

The approval for the PMRF scheme came at Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Cabinet also approved the proposal for ratification of Minamata Convention on Mercury.

An official statement said the PMRF scheme had been set up as the Prime Minister has emphasised the importance of innovation and technology for the progress and development of the nation.

This fellowship scheme would be key to realising his vision of development through innovation. The scheme had been announced in the Budget Speech 2018-19.

Under the scheme, the best students who have completed or are in the final year of BTech or Integrated MTech or MSc in Science and Technology streams from IISc, IITs, NITs, IISERs, IIITs will be offered direct admission in the PhD programme in IITs and IISc.

Such students, who fulfil the eligibility criteria, and are shortlisted through a selection process, as laid down in the PMRF guidelines, will be offered a fellowship of Rs 70,000 per month for the first two years, Rs 75,000 per month for the third year, and Rs 80,000 per month in the 4th and 5th years.

A research grant of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to each of the fellows for a period of five years to cover their foreign travel expenses for presenting research papers in international conferences and seminars. A maximum of 3,000 fellows will be selected in a three-year period, beginning 2018-19.

The ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and depositing the instrument of ratification would enable India to become a party of the convention.

The approval entails Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury along with flexibility for continued use of mercury-based products and processes involving mercury compound up to 2025.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury will be implemented in the context of sustainable development with the objective to protect human health and environment from the anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

IIT, IISc PhD scholars

Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 per month along with Rs 2 lakh foreign travel cost will be provided to students pursuing PhD in IITs and IISc. Up to 3,000 fellows will be selected during three-year period, beginning 2018-19