GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3990
TO BE ANSWERED ON 30-04-2008

DEVELOPING CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE IN NANO TECHNOLOGY

3990. SHRI C. RAMACHANDAIAH:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government is discouraging duplication of Research in the areas of nano technology and is formulating an integrated approach to develop centres of excellence in nano technology across the country;
(b) if so, whether any mission bound management structure with a well defined blue print has been taken up for consideration;
(c) if so, whether the above measures are adequate to catch up with the progress made in other countries; and
(d) if not, the reasons for not taking up the issue of nano technology on fast track?


ANSWER

MINISTER FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES
(KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (d): The Government has already launched a Mission on Nano Science and Technology (Nano Mission) in May 2007 with an allocation of Rs. 1000 crore for five years to promote the upcoming area of nano science and technology in the country. The Nano Mission has a management structure which ensures that efforts made by various government departments, academic and research institutions and also the industry to promote nano science and technology are synergistic and complementary in nature and undesirable duplication of research is avoided.

As part of the Nano Mission, it is planned to launch a variety of educational and HRD programmes, Research & Development (R&D) programmes, establish centres of excellence and sophisticated characterization facilities, promote institution-industry linked projects through increased public private partnerships, promote entrepreneurship through establishment of business incubators, encourage industry to directly undertake product-oriented research projects, etc. A well-defined plan has been drawn up to promote this area of research in a comprehensive fashion involving all the players in the R&D sector.
As a result of Nano Mission activities, and also the promotional efforts made by the Government earlier, a core community of about 300 researchers and research students has been nurtured in this field. M.Sc./M.Tech. programmes in several institutions have been started. Several sophisticated characterization facilities have been established. About 20 centres of excellence have also been established in important areas such as biosensors, printable electronics, drug delivery, smart textiles, etc. The Government has spent approximately Rs. 400 crore to promote R&D in nano science and technology so far. Three major centres of excellence, costing approximately Rs. 100 crore each, will also be set up shortly at Mohali, Bangalore and Kolkata. It is felt that these measures would adequately intensify R&D in nano science and technology in the country and make it internationally competitive.