28-Oct-2022: Major themes of the Research Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) during India's presidency highlighted at G-20 Research Ministers meeting
Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar highlighted that materials for sustainable energy, scientific challenges & opportunities to achieving a sustainable blue economy, biodiversity, and economy would be the major themes and topics of the Research Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) during India's presidency starting from 1st December 2022.
He informed that discussions would be centered on developing the science for innovation and sustainable growth, connecting science and society, science for culture & heritage, traditional knowledge, and medicine.
“India is committed to implementing G-20 Research Innovation Initiative Gathering (RRIG) deliverables and seek support on the G-20 research and innovation agenda for India's G-20 presidency next year,” said Dr. Chandrasekhar while representing the Minister for Science and Technology at the G-20 Research Ministers meeting at Jakarta.
He elaborated on India’s evolution into a country with major global contributions in research and innovations and highlighted the country’s participation in international scientific collaborations.
“India is partnering in all the global forums, including the construction and establishment of mega-science facilities in India and abroad. We also partner with multilateral forums like UN, ASEAN, BRICS, BIMSTEC, SCO, G-20, etc. Science has to be global, and solutions to challenges should be regional,” he said.
“We aim to adopt a new approach that makes research infrastructure available for all stakeholders and finalising guidelines for Scientific Research Infrastructure Sharing Maintenance and Networks (SRIMAN). Besides, following global trends on a unified nationwide subscription-based model for knowledge, we are creating a central repository for all S&T data,” DST Secretary pointed out.
Dr. Chandrasekhar spoke about India’s efforts in enhancing domestic manufacturing capacity underlining how the country’s generic industry and vaccine manufacturing capability had supported global safety during the pandemic.
“We also promote a plurality of solutions for a variety of social, economic strata as well as geographical regions and focus on rural as well as urban problems in the country. Impact-based research evaluation is undertaken in a framework of research excellence keeping in mind local needs. Mainstreaming science communication has been taken up as a major challenge with the aim of increasing people’s participation in science,” he said.
“India has recently launched policies like Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to disseminate scientific knowledge and also promote science and technology across the ecosystems. We also launched many programmes for gender equality in the country. Many national missions have been launched partnering with international players to work on cyber-physical systems health, education, energy, environment, agriculture, Industry 4.0, etc.,” DST Secretary pointed out, expressing confidence that collaborations will bring opportunities for G-20 partners and promote innovation as single point agenda for all in the group.
The Research Ministers meeting has been planned to be held in 1st week of July 2023.
6-Aug-2021: Shri Subhas Sarkar addresses the G20 Research Ministers’ Meeting virtually
The Minister of State for Education Shri Subhas Sarkar participated in the G20 Research Ministers’ meeting today. The meeting was hosted in blended mode by Italy. G20 Education Ministers exchanged views on enhancing research collaborations and sharing digital space among G20 Countries for a strong, sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery. MoS, Education, Smt. Annapurna Devi; MoS, Education, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Secretary Higher Education Shri Amit Khare and senior officials of the Ministry were also present during the meeting.
Representing India, Shri Subhas Sarkar reiterated the country’s commitment to promote research and to skill, reskill and upskill the youth and collaborating with other G-20 countries to achieve this objective. He said that India attaches great importance to work with G20 partners and find evidence-based solutions to common problems.
Speaking on National Education Policy, 2020, the Minister said India’s National Education Policy launched in 2020 under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, seeks to strengthen the research ecosystem of the country by establishing a National Research Foundation.
The Minister informed that India has introduced AI in the school curriculum from grade 6 onwards and also started engineering courses in regional languages to ensure that language does not pose a hurdle to higher learning and research. The Minister further informed that the Government of India supports diverse schemes like SPARC and GIAN to promote academic and research collaboration between India and other countries. Indian institutions are entering into twinning arrangements with foreign universities. We have set up an Academic Bank of Credit that will facilitate such arrangements, he added.
He highlighted that during the pandemic, Indian Higher Educational institutions worked on research projects and developed vaccines against Covid 19, low-cost ventilators and many other medical equipments.
The Minister stated that India emphasizes leveraging relevant technologies for maximum gain in the education sector, for which a National Education Technology Forum as an umbrella body is launched.
India acknowledges the concerted efforts being made by countries to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and build back a more resilient education system.
Regarding ensuring educational continuity during the pandemic, the Minister shared that India has promoted blended learning extensively. India launched PM eVidya programme under which we ensured continuity of education across the country with a mix of online, television and radio modes, through our initiatives SWAYAM, DIKSHA, SWAYAM PRABHA and many more.
The Minister reaffirmed the support of the Government of India to the collective efforts of the G-20 countries in building a resilient education system and said he look forward to work with partner countries to fulfill the shared priorities in this area.
Later, a Declaration of G20 Ministers on Leveraging Research, Higher Education and Digitalisation for a Strong, Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Recovery was adopted at the end of the meeting.