PARLIAMENT QUESTION: INSPIRE SCHEME

Posted On: 01 APR 2026 3:31PM by PIB Delhi The Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Scheme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India is a national initiative aimed at attracting talented youth to study basic and natural sciences and pursue research careers in areas such as engineering, medicine, agriculture, and veterinary sciences, thereby strengthening the country’s research and development base. The scheme operates through multiple components across different educational stages. INSPIRE-MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) targets students aged 10-17 studying in Classes VI&ndash;XII by encouraging innovative ideas and scientific curiosity; schools can nominate up to five students annually through the E-MIAS portal, and selected students receive ₹10,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer to develop and present their projects at district, state, and national exhibitions. Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) supports talented students aged 17-22 with 12,000 scholarships each year worth ₹80,000 per annum to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in basic and natural sciences along with mentoring opportunities. At the research level, the INSPIRE Fellowship supports outstanding students pursuing PhD programs for up to five years with fellowships equivalent to CSIR-UGC NET (₹37,000 per month as JRF and ₹42,000 as SRF plus HRA and contingency grant of ₹20,000 per annum). Additionally, the INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship offers early-career post-doctoral researchers aged 27&ndash;32 a five-year fellowship with ₹1,25,000 per month, annual increments, and a research grant of ₹35 lakh to establish independent research careers in basic and applied sciences. Together, these components create a continuous pipeline to nurture scientific talent from school level to advanced research. The number of students supported under various components of the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Scheme during the last three years, State/UT-wise, particularly in Andhra Pradesh including Palnadu district, Odisha including Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency, Uttar Pradesh including Bulandshahr district and including Rajasthan are given below: State & UTs INSPIRE-MANAK INSPIRE-SHE INSPIRE-Fellowship INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 Andaman and Nicobar 8 20 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Andhra Pradesh 4530 3693 3424 0 2 0 35 7 22 1 0 6 Arunachal Pradesh 5 16 5 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 Assam 212 100 48 51 48 22 43 11 42 2 3 4 Bihar 2076 1988 2041 125 137 195 4 1 10 2 0 1 Chandigarh 163 69 61 5 1 1 15 4 12 0 0 0 Chhattisgarh 3157 2962 2165 271 365 256 10 7 11 2 0 1 Dadra Nagar Haveli 24 20 26 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Delhi 119 248 321 40 49 38 48 26 69 7 8 12 Goa 63 56 53 1 3 1 14 4 16 3 0 1 Gujarat 1109 1282 1244 61 62 20 26 12 28 2 0 7 Haryana 716 814 1249 54 37 32 11 8 11 2 0 3 Himachal Pradesh 437 498 513 115 105 77 10 8 12 1 1 0 Jammu and Kashmir 942 992 1033 28 2 1 25 6 33 2 2 6 Jharkhand 1937 1817 1160 20 16 3 11 4 4 3 3 4 Karnataka 7493 6264 7758 23 16 7 46 26 79 14 11 30 Kerala 479 315 339 294 299 130 45 17 48 4 2 3 Ladakh 25 21 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lakshadweep 5 5 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Madhya Pradesh 1506 <td style="width:43.3