Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed an outlay of Rs. 50000 for the National Research Foundation for the next five years.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union budget for the year 2021-22 in the lower house of the Parliament on February 2, Monday.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed an outlay of Rs. 50000 for the National Research Foundation, an umbrella body which is expected to fund researches in different disciplines, from science and technology to humanities. According to reports, the finance minister said, “It will ensure that the overall research ecosystem of the country is strengthened with focus on identified national-priority thrust areas.”

Through formal mechanism of mentoring, the NRF will also sow the seed and build research capacities at universities and colleges. It will involve expert researchers from premiere institutions. It will also organise researches in those colleges and universities which are until not have scored something big in the field of research.

Secretary department of science and technology, Ashutosh Sharma said, “The NRF would be an autonomous body and represented by all major research and education bodies.”

The budget allocations for key science departments have come across many cuts though it is expected to be spend until March.

Director of Indian Institute of Management, Kozikhode, Debashish Chaterjee said to the reports, “It will go on a long way in developing India as a thought leader in the global scenario.”

By Swarnali Chakraborty