Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) are recognized to play a significant role in advancing human, social, and economic development to meet the aspirations of people. As a result, understanding STI processes and exploring ways to strengthen them has evolved as a major vertical of intellectual activity globally. At the same time, significant efforts have been made to link this understanding to better policymaking by a range of governmental agencies (both in developed and emerging economies) and inter-governmental organizations.Worldwide, STI policies with well-integrated implementation strategies are playing key role innational developments.

Department of Science and Technology, GoI is mandated to formulate and deliver public policy support for the promotion of STI in the country. The department during the 12th five-year plan initiated a Policy Research Cell (PRC) programme in 2013 with the aim to develop and deliver the public policy support to strengthen the science, technology and innovations in the country.

The key objectives of the programme are as below;

• Generating evidence-base input for making the Policy& Panning.
• Creating critical mass of policy researchers in the country

Currently the programme is implemented broadly through two different modes of support in the area of STI Policy Research:

1. Establishment of DST-Centres for Policy Research (DST-CPR) along with recognition to the DST-satellite centres for Policy Research (SPR) and;
2. DST-STI Policy Fellowship Programme.

(1) DST-Centres for Policy Research (DST-CPR)& DST-satellite Centres for Policy Research (SPR)

CPRs are established to pursue the policy-based research in identified thematic areas of different S&T sectors to collect the evidence-based input to address the gap, in making policy & planning in that particular areas. Additionally, DST-SPRs are being identified considering their expertise in a specified S&T policy domain to assign the need-based research project in their areas of expertise. The call for establishment of CPRs is purely on the basis of requirement.The details may be seen in below link;

Annexure-1

(2) DST-STI Policy Fellowship Programme (DST-STI PFP)

DST-STI-PFP is mandated to create human critical mass of policy professionals/researchers across the country in different S&T policy domains. The fellowship provides an opportunity to scientists, engineers and policy enthusiasts to gain exposure from the close quarters of policy making and contribute their knowledge and analytical skills in the STI policy realm. The fellowship is supported for maximum duration of 3 years with a critical yearly review of progress before continuation of fellowship for the subsequent year. So far, five cohorts of Policy fellows have been supported under the programme.

Year-wise support provided to the CPRs during last few years are list below:

Annexure-1 

DST-Centres for Policy research (DST-CPRs) were initially established during 2013-14in different premier institutes/universities across the country. These centres carry out the evidence-based studies, evaluation and foresight studies as an input for national/regional S&T policy planning.

Currently, eight CPRs are supported under the programme along with recognition to10 SPRs:

List of CPRs:

1. DST-Centre for Policy Research at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore
2. DST-Centre for Policy Research at Panjab University, Chandigarh
3. DST-Centre for Policy Research at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay
4. DST-Centre for Policy Research at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore
5. DST-Centre for Policy Research at Central University of Gujrat
6. DST-Centre for Policy Research at University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
7. DST-Centre for Policy Research at Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer
8. DST-Centre for Policy Research at National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER),Bhubaneswar

List of SPRs:

1. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research at Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi
2. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research at Centre of BioMedical Research (CBMR), Lucknow
3. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH), Telangana
4. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research at Sharda University, Greater Noida
5. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research atTechnology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) Delhi
6. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research atInstitute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), New Delhi
7. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research atAmity University, Noida
8. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow
9. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research atAmrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri.
10. DST-Satellite centre for Policy Research atUniversity of Pune,Savitribai Phule Pune University

DST officials handling the PRC programme under PCPM