Key Initiatives for Young Scientists
Scheme for Young Scientists and Technologists (SYST): Supports young researchers to work on science and technology-led solutions for socio-economic challenges. Over 120 scientists were supported from 2021-2025.
WISE – Fellowship for Ph.D: Empowers women scientists aged 27-45 to pursue doctoral research in STEM fields. 241 scientists benefitted in the last five years.
Vigyan Jyoti Programme: Inspires girls to pursue STEM careers, providing mentoring and collaboration with IITs, NITs, IISERs, AIIMS, and CSIR labs. Over 1.12 lakh students have participated in five years.
CSRI-Post-Doctoral Fellowship (CSRI-PDF): Supports researchers under 40 to pursue innovative research in cognitive science. 20 scientists have benefitted in five years.
INSPIRE Scheme – Nurturing Future Scientists
The INSPIRE program attracts talented youth to basic and applied sciences. Its key components include:
- Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE): 12,000 scholarships annually for Bachelor’s and Master’s level studies. 53,097 students supported in five years.
- INSPIRE Fellowship: Supports top-ranking students at IITs, NITs, IISERs, and other universities. 3,101 scientists supported in last five years.
- INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship: Provides postdoctoral researchers (27-32 years) with 5-year opportunities in basic and applied sciences. 482 scientists supported.
ANRF and CSIR Support Programs
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) offers multiple grants including:
- Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG) – 712 scientists supported.
- Start-up Research Grant (SRG) – 1,887 scientists supported.
- National Postdoctoral Fellowship (NPDF) – 1,561 scientists supported.
- Ramanujan Fellowship – 168 scientists supported.
CSIR provides fellowships for doctoral and postdoctoral research, as well as the Raman Research Fellowship for short-term research at international centers. 9,880 young researchers benefited under the doctoral/postdoctoral program, and 65 scientists under RRF.
Department of Biotechnology and ICAR Initiatives
DBT supports young scientists through programs like Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship, BioCARe, and MK Bhan Fellowship, selecting over 500 scientists in the last five years. ICAR sanctioned 21 National Fellowships and 50 Young Scientists Projects in 2026-2028, with an approved outlay of ₹22.44 crore.
Impact in Bihar
These programs are implemented nationwide, including Bihar, where rural and aspirational districts are benefitting:
- INSPIRE SHE: 1,033 students supported
- INSPIRE Fellowship: 48 young researchers supported
- INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship: 8 postdoctoral researchers supported
- Vigyan Jyoti: 4,084 girls supported
- ANRF programs: 32 Start-up Research Grant, 8 PMECRG, 4 NPDF awards
Two DST-funded Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) hubs were established in Nawada, training rural youth in digital and ICT tools to support 40 farmers with location-specific advisories.
