Accelerate Vigyan Programme

The Government of India, with the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), launched the Accelerate Vigyan Scheme on July 1, 2020. Its purpose is to strengthen the scientific research mechanism with the objective of encouraging High-end scientific research and preparing scientific pioneers to lead careers in research and knowledge-based economy.

Accelerate Vigyan (AV) is an umbrella scheme. Preciously, when various scientific seminars and technological workshops used to be organised, all the efforts utilised by the organisers and beneficiaries, used to remain unnoticed for the want of a common database. This common database or common roof is the AV in which it brought together all the scientific workshops and training programs and aimed towards the branding of such programs.

Vision and Goals of Accelerate Vigyan Scheme:

The vision of AV is to expand the research base on a broad national scale. The research base consists of manpower i.e, well trained researchers and the development of quality research. The role of AV is to strengthen the mechanism of identifying research potential, mentoring, and training of such potential as well as curation of high end workshops. The vision to expand the scheme nationwide has three main goals

• Aggregation/Consolidation of all the scientific programmes and bring them together under a common roof of AV.
• Initiation of high-end orientation workshops.
• Creating opportunities for research internships for the inaccessible and encouraging youth to take it as a career.

Various Programs under the Accelerate Vigyan Scheme:

Accelerate Vigyan consists of two programs ABHYAAS and SAMMOHAN.

1. ABHYAAS (Skill Development): This program of the AV works on polishing the skills of PG/Ph.D. level students to boost research and development (R&D) in the country. The skills which are groomed include development of high end research in their selected areas and disciplines. This skill development is done with the help of high-end workshops and research internships. This is achieved by two of its subprograms, namely KARYASHALA (High-end Workshops) and VRITIKA (Research internships). The facilitation of these high end workshops and research internships is primarily done by the top-class institutions of the country such as, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), etc.

• KARYASHALA (High-end Workshops): Karyashala’s vision is to develop the skill necessary for quality and cutting edge research work. It does so by providing hands-on experience to universities, college and newly established institute students by providing them with High-end workshops. These workshops are a boon for PG and Ph.D students who do not have high end facilities in their own institutions, but have a strong motivation to excel in their scientific research pursuit. A typical High end workshop is of 1-2 weeks. SERB funds the daily necessary expenses of the participating students such as TA, stationery, accommodation, food etc. SERB funds it to the host institute conducting these workshops.
• VRITIKA (Research Internships): Under this sub program of Abhyaas, research internships are provided to the promising PG/PhD students of Colleges and Universities within India. The aim is to provide these students with the necessary exposure required to conduct and develop a quality research. The research internships are given only when students meet daily necessary expenses such as TA, food, accommodation etc. These Internships are given to students who are studying in institutions which do not have a requisite infrastructure or expertise for any particular or all of the research areas. No stipend is given to students under these internships.

2. SAMMOHAN (Bring together): This subprogram of AV aims to bring together/consolidate all the scientific programs and interactions under a common roof. The wide audience and infrastructure which is brought under this common roof includes, Research and Development departments, Science and Technology Institutes, stakeholders, coordinators, mentors, and students. This is achieved by two of its subprograms SAYONGIKA (Chronicle) and SANGOSHTHI (Seminar and Symposia scheme of SERB)

• SAYONGICA (Chronicle): This integrated subprogram of SAMMOHAN aims to catalogue all the capacity building activities such as Skills in Leadership training programmes, Associateship, Fellowship, Policy reforms and education in Science and Technology supported by the Govt. funding agencies of the country. In this program, the event organisers are able to register themselves with the AV online portal. With the help of this portal, they are able to submit the completed report and outcomes as well as utilize its logo. With this information all at one place, the students, teachers, researchers, policy makers and science administrators will benefit in participation, conduction and planning of future capacity building activities. The portal will also have a repository of the skilled manpower in various fields and activities. The events which are eligible for funding are only the ones related to ‘Science and Technology’ and are of five and more days. Sayonjika permits all the events supported by the national agencies (Central Government Ministries/Departments).
• SANGOSHTHI (Seminar and Symposia): SERB had a program called Seminar and Symposia. After the Launch of AV, SANGOSHTHI aimed to reshape and renovate this program. Sangoshthi helps by providing partial financial aid upto Rs. 5 lacs (generally) for scientific events. This financial aid helps in the facilitation of the interaction between the scientific community and research groups which further helps in knowledge exchange in Science and Technology. This interaction is facilitated by providing financial support to hold conferences, seminars, symposia, meetings, short term workshops and training. Partial support is also given to cover the cost of domestic travel of Indian Scientists, pre-conference printing and contingencies. The proposed events under this program do not have a limit on the number of days the program can be conducted.

To implement all of this, an Inter-Ministerial Overseeing Committee has been constituted that includes all the scientific departments constituted to support SERB in implementing this program. As NITI AAYOG mentions in the report of India’s Innovation INDEX that the country’s gross expenditure on R&D is lowest in the world i.e. USD 43 per capita compare to USD 285 per capita of Russia, USD 173 by Brazil, USD 293 of MALAYSIA. In percentage of GDP, INDIA spends 0.7% that is consistent for a decade and that too is lower compared to Brazil (1.16%) and South Africa(0.83%). So India needs to increase its expenditure to be on a par with BRICS & ASIAN countries.

In this way, this program helps in capacity building and inculcates the social responsibility of the scientific community in the country.