Jitendra Singh launches Vaibhav Fellowship for Indian Diaspora abroad to mark National Science Day

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the objective of Vaibhav Fellowship is to improve the research ecosystem of higher educational institutions of India by facilitating academic and research collaboration between Indian institutions and the best of the world. ,

Singh said the best expatriate minds will collaborate with domestic minds to deliver world class projects and products.

“The applicant must be a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and must have obtained a Ph.D/MD/MS degree from a recognized university,” it said.

The minister said that the applicant should be a researcher with a proven track record of research and development in a foreign academic/research/industrial organization and plan to work for a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 2 months in a research. Institutions / Educational Institutions in India.

Singh said that since May 2014, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office, there has been a marked change in priorities and goals for the Ministry of Science and Technology and other science departments such as the Ministry of Space, Atomic Energy and Earth Sciences.

“There was no dearth of talent and capabilities, but 2014 was confirmed both at the policy planning level as well as in the political system,” he said.

The minister reminded the esteemed audience that in his nine Independence Day addresses so far as Prime Minister, Modi has announced historic scientific initiatives. “From August 15, 2014, when the Swachh Bharat Mission was announced to build individual household toilets, thus bringing great relief to the rural poor, especially young girls and women, in terms of health and sanitation.”

Singh said the other historic announcement was ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ by PM Modi on Independence Day 2015, then Digital India, which led to DBT, JAM trinity and UPI, followed by Gaganyaan Mission, Digital Health , Deep Sea mission and last year his pitch for innovation with the call of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan and Jai Anusandhan’.

“Subsequently, PM Modi spoke of the Digital Health Mission and in his two consecutive Independence speeches of 2021 and 2022, the Prime Minister spoke of the Deep Sea Mission,” he said.

The minister said that among 130 countries, we were at number 81 in the Global Innovation Index till 2015, but we have reached 40th place in 2022. Top three countries in the world in terms of start-up ecosystem.”

Singh said that there has been a significant increase in the country’s overall performance in terms of publications (from 6th to 3rd globally in 2013 based on National Science Foundation database), patents (to 9th globally in terms of resident patent filings), ) and quality of research publications during the last 9 years (from 13th in 2013 to now 9th globally).

“India’s scientific prowess will define and determine India’s future economy in the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal,” he concluded.