Cabinet approves introduction of National Research Foundation Bill, 2023 in Parliament

On Wednesday, the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023 was given the green light by the Union Cabinet, which is presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The National Research Foundation Bill’s passage, according to Prime Minister Modi on his Twitter account, would help the nation’s research and development efforts. He believed that it would promote creativity and collaboration between academia, business, and the government.

“Approval of the National Research Foundation Bill will pave the way for bolstering R&D. It will foster innovation and collaboration among academia, industry, and government, a crucial step in realising our vision for a scientifically advanced nation,” PM Modi told in a tweet.

The approved Bill, according to a formal statement, will open the door for the establishment of NRF, which will launch, grow, and promote research and development (R&D) while fostering a culture of research and innovation across all of India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D labs.

As the Parliament passed the bill, will create NRF, an overarching organisation that will provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the nation in accordance with recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), at an estimated total cost of Rs. 50,000 crore over five years (2023-28), according to the release.

Department of Science and Technology to oversee National Research Foundation administrative division

The administrative division of the NRF will be the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which will be overseen by a Governing Board made up of distinguished academics and industry leaders from many fields.

The Union Ministers of Science and Technology and Education will serve as the ex-officio Vice-Presidents of the Board, with the Prime Minister serving as its ex-officio President. An Executive Council, led by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, will oversee NRF’s operations.

The NRF will establish partnerships between business, academia, government agencies, and research institutions, as well as a framework for interaction between them, allowing businesses, state governments, as well as scientific and line ministries, to participate and contribute.

It will focus on creating a policy framework and putting in place regulatory processes that can encourage collaboration and increased spending by the industry on R&D, the official statement said.

The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), which was founded by a Parliamentary act in 2008, would also be abolished by the law and absorbed into NRF, which has an enlarged scope and encompasses operations beyond those of SERB.

Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, thanked the Prime Minister for passing the National Research Foundation Bill in the Union Cabinet after it was approved.

Amit Shah stated that the programme will support New India’s research and development culture. “We are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting the culture of research and development in New India by endorsing the National Research Foundation Bill in the Union Cabinet today. With a total investment of Rs 50,000 crore, it will open the door for India to become a global leader in scientific research, according to Amit Shah’s tweet.