PrayogShala

At last Indian government is working on forming a National Science and Engineering Research Foundation on the lines of famed NSF of USA . A national organization with big pockets is a serious need for science and technology future of the country. This page hopes to track the progress on this front.

Notes:

• April 2006 - Another article in Times of India about it. Status : soon to be formed. It's not clear if it got parliamentary clearance or not. Here goes the link: Foundation to boost research
• Feb 2006: hmm, No more news seen on this. No coverage from any newspaper, as if it never existed. I guess the proposal never got presented in parliament.. What can one expect when more than half the time is spent in walkouts and adjournments (with MPs bribery cases taking all the time this winter)! I have little better expectations from indian journalism, but alas they never seem to be interested in tracking an issue for long (until it's about affairs of actors). Can someone question our honorable science minister on the status of this?
• Dec 2005: The proposal is planned to go through approval in parliament in winter session. Most of the newspapers have covered the talk of Prof C N R Rao from National meet of state science and technology ministers at IISc, bangalore. let's see what happens ;)

Timeline:

• Nov 11, 2005 - Decision on science foundation in winter session: C.N.R. Rao , The Hindu.
  

  The Rs. 1,000 crore proposal mooted by the scientific community for several years to set up a world-class national science and research foundation is due to be taken up for approval in the winter session of Parliament, C.N.R. Rao, Head, Science Advisory Council to Prime Minister, said on Thursday.
  The foundation, with an autonomous identity, will be free from bureaucratic control, and monitored by the scientific community on the lines of the National Science Fund of the United States.
  It would revamp the research and funding system in the universities, work towards enhancing their basic research in science and technology, Prof. Rao told presspersons here.

• 9th March 2005, National science foundation planned for India , SciDev.Net
  

  The Indian government has announced it will set up a world-class National Science and Engineering Research Foundation at a cost of ten billion rupees (US$230 million). It is expected to function similarly to the National Science Foundation in the United States.
  India will also create national universities for scientific research and education in Kolkata and Pune, each costing about US$110 million.
  The decisions — intended to boost scientific research in Indian universities and attract students to science — were made at a meeting of the Indian cabinet on 4 March.