REPORT NO. 328

PARLIAMENT OF RAJYA SABHA

DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THREE HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHTH REPORT

DEMANDS FOR GRANTS (2020-2021) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (DEMAND NO. 89)

th (Presented to the Rajya Sabha on 6 March, 2020) (Laid on the Table of on 6th March, 2020)

(Presented to the Rajya Sabha on ______, 2013) (Laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on ______, 2013)

Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi March, 2020/ Phalguna, 1941 (Saka)

Website : http://rajyasabha.nic.in Email: [email protected]

Hindi version of this publication is also available

PARLIAMENT OF INDIA RAJYA SABHA

DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THREE HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHTH REPORT

THREE HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHTH REPORT

DEMANDS FOR GRANTS (2020-2021) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (DEMAND NO. 89)

th (Presented to the Rajya Sabha on 6 March, 2020) (Laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on 6th March, 2020)

Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi March, 2020/ Phalguna, 1941 (Saka)

C O N T E N T S

PAGES 1. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (i)

2. INTRODUCTION (ii)

3. ACRONYMS (iii)

4. REPORT 1-8

5. RECOMMENDATIONS/OBSERVATIONS-----AT A GLANCE 9-10

6. MINUTES 11-15

COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (2019-20) (Constituted on 13th September, 2019)

1. Shri Jairam Ramesh -- Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri Anil Baluni 3. Shri R.S. Bharathi 4. Shrimati Vandana Chavan 5. Shri Hishey Lachungpa 6. Shri Parimal Nathwani 7. Shri Bhaskar Rao Nekkanti 8. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw 9. Shri Ravi Prakash Verma 10. Shri Binoy Viswam

LOK SABHA 11. Shri Guharam Ajgalley 12. Shri Pradan Baruah 13. Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer 14. Shri Jashvantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor 15. Shri Sudarshan Bhagat 16. Shri Rameshbhai Lavjibhai Dhaduk 17. Shri Anantkumar Hegde 18. Shrimati Jyotsna Charandas Mahant 19. Dr. Swami Sakshiji Maharaj 20. Shri Asaduddin Owaisi 21. Shri S.R. Parthiban 22. Dr. Ranjan Singh Rajkumar 23. Shri Kotha Prabhakar Reddy 24. Dr. 25. Shrimati (Banerjee) 26. Shri Mahesh Sahoo 27. Shri Francisco Cosme Sardinha 28. Shri Anurag Sharma 29. Shri Ram Shiromani 30. Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh 31. Dr. Ramapati Ram Tripathi ______SECRETARIAT Smt. Sunita Sekaran, Joint Secretary Shri T. N. Pandey, Director Shri S. Rangarajan, Additional Director Shri Rajiv Saxena, Under Secretary Shri Harish Kumar, Committee Officer

(i) INTRODUCTION

I, the Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, having been authorised by the Committee to present the Report on its behalf, present this Three Hundred Twenty Eighth Report of the Committee. This Report deals with the detailed Demands for Grants (2020-2021) of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Demand No. 89).

2. In the meeting of the Committee held on the 17th February, 2020, the Secretary and other officers of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research gave an overview of the various activities of the Department and the Members sought clarifications on various aspects of the performance of the Department to enable it to scrutinise the Demands for Grants.

3. The Committee expresses its thanks to the officers of the Department for replying to the clarifications sought by the Members and placing before it the required material to enable the it to scrutinise the Demands for Grants Department of the Scientific and Industrial Research.

4. The Committee considered and adopted the draft Report in its meeting held on the 4th March, 2020.

(JAIRAM RAMESH) NEW DELHI; Chairman, March 4 , 2020 Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Phalguna 14, 1941(Saka) Science and Technol ogy, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Rajya Sabha.

(ii) ACRONYMS

A2K+ Access to Knowledge for Technology Development and Dissemination APCTT Asian & Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology ARISE Acquiring Resilience and Identity through Self Employment BE Budget Estimate BIRD Building Industrial Research and Development CEL Central Electronics Limited CLRI Central Leather Research Institute CRTDH Common Research and Technology Development Hubs CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR-NAL CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories DSIR Department of Scientific and Industrial Research EFC External Cash Flow FTC Fast Track Commercialisation FTT Fast Track Translation GAIL Gas Authority of India Limited HRDG Human Resource Development Group IISc Indian Institute of Sciences IIT Indian Institute of Technology IRD Industrial Research and Development MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise NET National Eligibility Test NITI National Institution for Transforming India NRDC National Research Development Corporation PACE Patent Acquisition and Collaborations Research and Technology Development PRISM Promoting Innovations in Individuals, Stat-ups and MSMEs PSU Sector Public Undertaking R&D Research and Development RE Revised Estimate S&T Science and Technology UGC University Grants Commission UN United Nations

(iii)

REPORT

1. The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change considered the Demands for Grants (2020-21) of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in its meeting held on 17th February, 2020. 2 BUDGETARY DETAILS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2019-20 AND ALLOCATION FOR 2020-21 2.1 The following table gives the details of the B.E., R.E. and actual expenditure of the Department in 2019-20 and budgetary allocations made to the Department for B.E. 2020-21:

Other Central Sector Expenditure (Autonomous Bodies) 4 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) 4.01 National Laboratories-CSIR 4531.58 4531.58 4481.58 4912.00

4.02 Research Schemes, Scholarships & 300.00 300 300 400.00 Fellowships-CSIR

Sl. Scheme 2019-20 (Rupees in crore) B.E. allocations for 2020-21 No. (Rupees in crore) B.E. R.E. Actual*

CENTRE'S EXPENDITURE (Establishment Expenditure of the Centre) 1 Estt. And Obligatory 12.66 12.66 10.63 14.00 Exp. Of Centre-Sectt. Economic Services Public Works-DSIR 3.50 3.50 0.00 3.50 Building Central Sector Schemes/Projects 2 Industrial Research &Development (IR&D) PRISM 3.00 2.25 1.57 3.30 PACE (Grants) 2.00 1.20 0.67 2.20 PACE (Loan) 4.00 1.00 0.00 4.00 BIRD (CRTDH) 15.00 5.94 2.18 16.50 A2K+ 4.00 1.90 0.91 4.60 3 Assistance to PSEs for Other Scientific Research CEL (Grants) 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.40 CEL (Equity) 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.80 NRDC 12.00 14.06 10.00 13.20 2+3 Total- Central Sector 45.65 32.00 20.98 50.00 Schemes/ Projects. Total-CSIR 4831.58 4831.58 4781.58 5312.00 5 CDC [Consultancy Development 0.50 0.10 0.00 0.00 Centre] Others 6 APCTT (Cont.) UN Body 1.50 2.90 1.50 5.00 APCTT (Bldg.) UN Body 0.50 0.50 0.04 0.50 Grand total 4895.89 4883.24 4814.73 5385.00 *Till 31.01.2020 1

2.2. The Committee observed that compared to last year (Rs.4895.89 Cr - BE 2019-20), this year budget has increased roughly by Rs.500 crore (Rs.5385.00 Cr – BE 2020-21). 2.3 The Department has been allocated an amount of Rs.5385.00 crore against the demanded amount of Rs.6557.715 crore during the 2020-21. The Committee asked the representative of the Department the rationale for demanding about Rs.1000.00 crore more in allocation of BE 2020-21 and the impact of the shortfall on key programmes for 2020-21. 2.4. The Secretary while elaborating the impact on the key programmes due to difference in demands made vis-à-vis allocated amount for the year 2020-21 submitted as follows:  The Department will not be in position to implement the new initiatives on: (i) CATAPULT, which focuses on stimulating industry oriented demand-led research and de-risking innovation; and (ii) ARISE Scheme under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), which focuses on fast track translation addressing grand challenges of various line Ministries requirement through Startups & MSME in collaboration with NITI Aayog.  Implementation of the following proposed R&D programmes of CSIR would be affected: o New Integrated Projects on high importance domain like Civilian aircraft (SARAS), Cancer Generic Drugs, Rare Genetic Diseases, Waste to Wealth and Import Substitution in eight themes. o Projects under different categories namely Mission, Facility Creation, Fast Track Translation (FTT)/ Fast Track Commercialisation (FTC), Niche Creating High Science/ High Technology (NCP) Projects, Focused Basic Research (FBR) etc. o Even sustaining engaged project staff and ongoing fellowship schemes would be difficult since additional funds are necessary to meet the hike in fellowship amounts. 2.5. During the deliberations, the Secretary further submitted that although they have asked for additional amount of about Rs. 1000.00 crore, their absolute bare minimum requirement is Rs. 440.00 crore. The following table shows the absolute bare minimum increase needed in 2020-21 to sustain key progammes: (Rs. in crore) Scheme BE Bare Remarks (2020- Minimum 21) Increase Needed DSIR Umbrella Scheme 1 30.60 100.00 Seed money for initiating (IRD) CATAPULT scheme DSIR Umbrella Scheme 2 13.20 30.00 For implementation of (NRDC) ARISE scheme of Atal Innovation Mission CSIR (National 4912.00 210.00 Towards carrying out key Laboratories) FTT, FTC and mission mode projects. Includes Rs. 110.crore for salary. CSIR (Research Schemes, 400.00 100.00 For meeting hike in Scholarships & fellowships Fellowships) TOTAL 5355.80 440.00 2.6. The Committee observed that Rs.100 crore for fellowships is a committed expenditure; it will have to be borne by the Department irrespective of the circumstances. There are two ways of bearing it; either the Government gives the Department an additional allocation of Rs.100 crore, or the 2

Department somehow absorbs the Rs.100 crore as part of the overall Budget. The Secretary agreed with the Committee on the options available. If additional funds are not allocated, the labs will have to spend less on R&D, and they will have to re-appropriate the money. Also, the Department may have to depend upon their own internal receipts. 2.7. The Secretary further submitted that out of Rs.440 crore, the Department would have to meet an expenditure ofRs.210 crore somehow; out of which they have to meet Rs.100 crore on the fellowships given to students across the country (placed in universities/ institutions like, IITs, IISc), and Rs.110crore for the salary of their own staff. 2.8. Thus, the Committee was apprised that Rs.210.00 crore (out of Rs.440.00 crore) i.e. Rs.100 crore for fellowships and Rs.110 crore for salaries respectively are obligatory and remaining Rs.230 crore is essential. The following table shows the ‘Obligatory’ and ‘Essential’ expenditure of the Department during 2020-21: (Rs. in crore) Scheme BE Bare Obligatory Essential (2020- Minimum 21) Increase Needed DSIR Umbrella 30.60 100.00 - 100.00 Scheme 1 (IRD) DSIR Umbrella 13.20 30.00 - 30.00 Scheme 2 (NRDC) CSIR (National 4912.00 210.00 110.00 (Salary) 100.00 Laboratories) CSIR (Research 400.00 100.00 100.00 - Schemes, Scholarships (Fellowship) & Fellowships) TOTAL 5355.80 440.00 210.00 230.00

2.9. The Committee is of the considered view that both the obligatory expenditure such as fellowships to researchers and salary to the staff of the Department, and the essential expenditure i.e. Rs.230 crore, have to be met at any cost. Therefore, the Committee finds merit in the demand of additional amount of Rs.440 cr. to meet stipulated expenses of the Department. The Committee hereby recommends that the Department must take up this matter with the Ministry of Finance for allocation of this additional amount at the RE stage.

3. SCHEMES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

3.1. The BE and RE allocation made and actual expenditure incurred by the Department during 2019-20 and allocation made in 2020-21 w.r.t. Umbrella Scheme- 1 “Industrial Research and Development (IRD) is as under: (Rs. in crore) Year B.E. R.E. Actual Expenditure Percentage Utilisation (R.E.)

2019-20 28.00 12.29 5.33 (upto 43.36 31.01.2020) 2020-21 30.60 - - -

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3.2. The Committee observes significant under-utilisation of allocated funds in the above- mentioned Scheme. The Committee, therefore, insists that the Department should strengthen its monitoring mechanism for utilising the allocated resources and evaluation of the expenditure must be done on periodical basis. The Committee urges the Department to utilise the funds allocated under the said Scheme and achieve the projected targets during 2020-21. 4. COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) 4.1. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research is known for its cutting edge R&D knowledge base in diverse S&T areas. Having pan-India presence, CSIR has a network of 38 National Laboratories, 39 Outreach Centres, 1 Innovation Complex and 3 units. CSIR's R&D expertise and experience is embodied in about 3502 active scientists supported by about 4648 scientific and technical personnel. CSIR – SCHEMES

4.2. CSIR has two non-central sector schemes namely, (i) National Laboratories Scheme; and (ii) National S&T Human Resource Development. While the former covers a wide range of R&D and S&T aspects, latter deals specifically with Human Resources and different awards. NATIONAL LABORATORIES SCHEME

4.3. Following table provides details of BE/ RE allocation, utilisation for the last two financial years and approved allocation for 2020-21 (BE) for the National Laboratories Scheme:

(Rs. in crore) BE RE Actual BE RE Actual BE Grant Components 2018-19 2018-19 2018-19 2019-20 2019-20 2019-20 2020-21 National Laboratories 4434.71 4271.28 4271.28 Schemes 4531.58 4531.58 4481.58 4912.00

4.4. The Committee acknowledges the Department for the R&D efforts of CSIR, which are well-aligned to the needs of the domestic industry and the social priorities of the nation. This is exemplified by the Government's Mission Programs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) chartered by the UN. The R&D of CSIR caters to the Government's initiatives such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat, Namami Gange, Swasth Bharat, Smart Cities, Smart Villages, affordable renewable energy technology solutions, Innovate in India, etc. The Committee also appreciates the Department for undertaking several initiatives to translate laboratory leads to marketable/value-added technologies/products. This has significantly enhanced engagement and outreach with stakeholders enabling ease of technology licensing. 4.5. The Committee acknowledges that these initiatives can benefit the citizens of the country and especially, farmers, industries, and entrepreneurs. The Committee is also of the view that the above initiatives have the potential to generate both employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth, with concerted and coordinated efforts of the Department. NATIONAL S&T HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

4.6. CSIR has focused in a significant manner on the development of S&T Human Resource. CSIR‟s support for creation and nurturing of National S&T Human Resource transcends diverse sectors and disciplines of science and technology. 4.7. Following table provides details of BE/ RE allocation, utilisation for the last two financial years and approved allocation for 2020-21 (BE) for the National S&T Human Resource Development Programme: 4

(Rs. in crore)

Actual Grant BE RE BE RE Actual BE 2018- Components 2018-19 2018-19 2019-20 2019-20 2019-20 2020-21 19 National S&T Human 300.00 250.00 250.00 300.00 300.00 300.00 400.00 Resource Development

4.8. The Committee observed that the BE and RE allocation for 2019-20 in respect of „Capacity Building and Human Resource Development‟ was Rs. 300 crores whereas B.E. 2020-21 is Rs. 400 crores. The Committee enquired the reasons for the demanded increase in allocation by Rs.100 crore in BE 2020-21 under this scheme and the activities planned under this initiative for the year 2020-21.In response, the Department in a written reply informed the Committee that CSIR has been operating “Capacity Building and Human Resource Development” programme through doctoral and postdoctoral fellowship. In addition, CSIR-HRDG also operates EMR research projects, Travel/Symposia Grant schemes, and Emeritus Scientist Scheme and National S&T awards. 4.9. It was further informed that the reason for increase of Rs. 100 crore is primarily due to hike of fellowship as per Government of India directives w.e.f. 01-01-2019. There are about 9000 research fellows enrolled today. The increase in fellowship amount is to the tune of 25% approximately. There is also steady increase in the number of research fellows joining the system after clearing various examinations, including Joint CSIR-UGC NET. The enhancement of fellowship amount has also affected the EMR project schemes- thus increasing total number of beneficiary research scholars. 4.10. The Committee appreciates the enhancement in allocations for this Scheme from Rs. 300 crore in 2019-20 (RE) to Rs. 400 crore in BE 2020-21. The Committee hopes that with the enhancement in the allocation for 2020-21, the planned activities under this Scheme would be achieved and many more students/ scientists are attracted towards scientific research. 5. PUBLIC SECTOR ENTERPRISES (DSIR UMBRELLA SCHEME-2):

5.1. The Department has two Public Sectors Enterprises namely (i) National Research Development Corporation (NRDC); and (ii) Central Electronics Ltd. (CEL). These two PSEs are funded under DSIR Umbrella Scheme-2. NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (NRDC)

5.2 The BE and RE allocation made and actual expenditure incurred by the Department during 2019-20 and allocation made in 2020-21 of the NRDC are as under: (Rs. in crore) PSU B.E.2019- R.E.2019-20 Utilisation till % utilisation of RE BE 2020-21 20 31.01.2020 NRDC 12.00 14.06 10.00 83% 13.20

5.3 To meet the stated objectives, the Corporation has been carrying out both commercial and promotional activities which are summarised below: - Development and Commercialisation of Technologies

• Technical evaluation of the technology. • Licensing of technologies to companies and end user organisations.

5

• Development of Technologies in association with R&D laboratories to validate or scale- up laboratory processes prior to commercialisation. • Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) consultancy to R&D Institutes and Corporates. • Export of Indian technologies / know-how and services. • Execution of turnkey projects abroad based on indigenous technologies.

5.4 The Committee appreciates the goal of NRDC, to act as a link between scientific laboratories and industrial establishments for transfer of technology. The Committee notes that Rs.10.00 crore i.e. 83% only (upto 31.01.2020) has been utilised against the allocated amount of Rs.14.06 crore (RE 2019-20) and urges optimum utilisation of allocated amount during the year 2020-21.

6. CENTRAL ELECTRONICS LTD. (CEL)

6.1 The BE and RE allocation made and actual expenditure incurred by the Department during 2019-20 and allocation made in 2020-21 of the CEL are as under: (Rs. in crore) PSE B.E. 2019-20 R.E.2019-20 Utilization till % utilization of BE 2020-21 31.01.2020 RE CEL 5.65 5.65 5.65 100% 6.20

6.2 The Committee was informed about the proposed Programmes/ Projects undertaken by CEL during 2020-21, which are as under:  Design and development of new products for Indian railways  Setting up of manufacturing facilities for products developed for Indian railways  Establishing the processing equipment for development of armour ceramics  Setting up of facility for development of TR module for radar applications  Designing of core IoT platform for smart cities applications

6.3. The Committee appreciates the efforts of CEL in making various utility items for different Government agencies using indigenous technologies and materials and hopes that CEL would achieve the targeted deliverables for 2020-21 and continue to excel in its field. 7. EARNINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT: 7.1 The Committee during the meeting with the representatives of the Department enquired about its earnings and in reply the Secretary informed that the Department earns through different ways like grants, consultancy services contribution from Industries, etc. which is termed as External Cash Flow (ECF). The ECF of the Department for the current year is about Rs. 1,350 crore and it comes under specific heads as well as part of R&D budget for specific objectives. 7.2. The Committee observed that many of the laboratories of CSIR are located at prominent places in the heart of many cities and substantial portions of the land in these institutions lies unused or under- utilised. The Committee desired to know whether the Department has plans to monetise some of these land assets. Responding to the query, the Secretary submitted that the Department has plans of starting innovation parks and incubation centers across many places. Therefore, a part of the money that the Department earned to the tune of Rs. 1,350 crore (ECF), has been set for an innovation fund. Through this innovation fund, they plan to start innovation parks, design centers, R& D centers for industries, 6 where industry can setup, and also start incubation centres to promote start-ups. However, in a written reply, the Department has informed the Committee that most of the land of CSIR is on lease and CSIR has limited rights on that. 7.3 The Committee appreciates the initiatives/ plans of the Department to use their surplus land assets by setting up innovation parks, design centres, R&D Centres for industries and incubation centres through the above-mentioned innovation fund and using their land assets for setting up units in collaboration with PSUs like GAIL etc. However, the Committee is of the opinion that since the Department has huge land resources, it should explore the possibility of augmenting their income through these land resources. For this purpose, the Department may engage services of professionals/groups/consultancies to undertake an independent study to advice the Department similar to what the Ministry of Railways and Defence have done. 8. DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT-'SARAS'BY CSIR-NAL 8.1. During its study visit to Bengaluru in December 2019, the Committee visited the establishment of CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) on the 28th December, 2019 and held a discussion with the representatives of CSIR-NALand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on its functioning. During the discussion, the Members of the Committee were given a presentation on NAL‟s initiative to develop a civilian aircraft SARAS, suited to Indian conditions. The Committee also witnessed a prototype of the aircraft and evinced great interest in its development. The Committee asked the Director, NAL to submit a proposal to the Committee on the future course of action for commercial production and use of the 19-seater aircraft. The Director, NAL later submitted a proposal for development and viable production of SARAS MK2 to the Committee, which was forwarded to the concerned Ministries for necessary action at their end. 8.2. During the meeting of the Committee with the representatives of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research held on the 17th February 2020, the Committee asked the Secretary about the status of the commercial production and use of the 19-seater aircraft SARAS. Informing the Committee in this regard, the Secretary stated that they had been working on the civilian aircraft programme for a very long time. It is a turboprop jet and not a jet engine. He also detailed that it is a next-generation aircraft in that particular segment. Further, SARAS is undergoing regulatory tests. The project is progressing well and is expected to be complete by the year 2022-23.The Committee was also informed that the production of the aircraft will be taken up once the aircraft is successfully certified. 8.3. The Committee is of the view that the CSIR-NAL’s 19-seater SARAS turboprop civilian aircraft needs to be taken up as a National Mission to promote connectivity to small airports and underserved regions under the UDAN Scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. There is an additional need to boost aircraft manufacturing in the country and build confidence amongst civil airlines operators. The Committee recommends that the Government of India should place a development order to NAL and other manufacturers for about 50 to 60 SARAS aircrafts. A firm commitment of procurement of the aircraft by the Government will encourage the manufacturing industry in the country to meet the demand for the 19-seater aircraft. 9. EXPANSION OF ACTIVITIES OF CENTRAL LEATHER RESEARCH INSTITUTE (CLRI) 9.1 The members of the Committee had visited CLRI on 28th December, 2019. The members were very impressed with the quality and the range of work carried out in the Institute. CLRI has made tremendous contribution to the growth of the leather industry, especially in Tamil Nadu, which has created employment opportunities for lakhs of women and other disadvantaged sections of the society. The members were keen that the CLRI expand their work in Tamil Nadu to other states as well. The

7

Committee therefore recommends that the necessary financial support for the expansion of CLRI should be provided by CSIR.

8

RECOMMENDATIONS/OBSERVATIONS---AT A GLANCE

BUDGETARY DETAILS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2019-20 AND ALLOCATION FOR 2020-21 The Committee is of the considered view that both the obligatory expenditure such as fellowships to researchers and salary to the staff of the Department, and the essential expenditure i.e. Rs.230 crore, have to be met at any cost. Therefore, the Committee finds merit in the demand of additional amount of Rs.440 cr. to meet stipulated expenses of the Department. The Committee hereby recommends that the Department must take up this matter with the Ministry of Finance for allocation of this additional amount at the RE stage. (Para 2.9)

SCHEMES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

The Committee observes significant under-utilisation of allocated funds in the above- mentioned Scheme. The Committee, therefore, insists that the Department should strengthen its monitoring mechanism for utilising the allocated resources and evaluation of the expenditure must be done on periodical basis. The Committee urges the Department to utilise the funds allocated under the said Scheme and achieve the projected targets during 2020-21. (Para 3.2) . COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) The Committee acknowledges the Department for the R&D efforts of CSIR, which are well-aligned to the needs of the domestic industry and the social priorities of the nation. This is exemplified by the Government's Mission Programs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) chartered by the UN. The R&D of CSIR caters to the Government's initiatives such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat, Namami Gange, Swasth Bharat, Smart Cities, Smart Villages, affordable renewable energy technology solutions, Innovate in India, etc. The Committee also appreciates the Department for undertaking several initiatives to translate laboratory leads to marketable/value-added technologies/products. This has significantly enhanced engagement and outreach with stakeholders enabling ease of technology licensing. (Para 4.4) The Committee acknowledges that these initiatives can benefit the citizens of the country and especially, farmers, industries, and entrepreneurs. The Committee is also of the view that the above initiatives have the potential to generate both employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth, with concerted and coordinated efforts of the Department. (Para 4.5) NATIONAL S&T HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Committee appreciates the enhancement in allocations for this Scheme from Rs. 300 crore in 2019-20 (RE) to Rs. 400 crore in BE 2020-21. The Committee hopes that with the enhancement in the allocation for 2020-21, the planned activities under this Scheme would be achieved and many more students/ scientists are attracted towards scientific research. (Para 4.10) PUBLIC SECTOR ENTERPRISES (DSIR UMBRELLA SCHEME-2):

The Committee appreciates the goal of NRDC, to act as a link between scientific laboratories and industrial establishments for transfer of technology. The Committee notes that Rs.10.00 crore i.e. 83% only (upto 31.01.2020) has been utilised against the allocated amount of Rs.14.06 crore (RE 2019-20) and urges optimum utilisation of allocated amount during the year 2020-21. (Para 5.4)

. The Committee appreciates the efforts of CEL in making various utility items for different Government agencies using indigenous technologies and materials and hopes that CEL would achieve the targeted deliverables for 2020-21 and continue to excel in its field. (Para 6.3) 9

EARNINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT: The Committee appreciates the initiatives/ plans of the Department to use their surplus land assets by setting up innovation parks, design centres, R&D Centres for industries and incubation centres through the above-mentioned innovation fund and using their land assets for setting up units in collaboration with PSUs like GAIL etc. However, the Committee is of the opinion that since the Department has huge land resources, it should explore the possibility of augmenting their income through these land resources. For this purpose, the Department may engage services of professionals/groups/consultancies to undertake an independent study to advice the Department similar to what the Ministry of Railways and Defence have done. (Para 7.3) DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT-'SARAS'BY CSIR-NAL

The Committee is of the view that the CSIR-NAL’s 19-seater SARAS turboprop civilian aircraft needs to be taken up as a National Mission to promote connectivity to small airports and underserved regions under the UDAN Scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. There is an additional need to boost aircraft manufacturing in the country and build confidence amongst civil airlines operators. The Committee recommends that the Government of India should place a development order to NAL and other manufacturers for about 50 to 60 SARAS aircrafts. A firm commitment of procurement of the aircraft by the Government will encourage the manufacturing industry in the country to meet the demand for the 19-seater aircraft. (Para 8.3)

EXPANSION OF ACTIVITIES OF CENTRAL LEATHER RESEARCH INSTITUTE (CLRI)

The Committee therefore recommends that the necessary financial support for the expansion of CLRI should be provided by CSIR. (Para 9.1)

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MINUTES ______

11

IX NINTH MEETING

The Committee met at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, the 17th February, 2020 in Committee Room No.4, Parliament House Annexe Extension, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT

1. Shri Jairam Ramesh - Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw 3. Shri Ravi Prakash Verma

LOK SABHA 4. Shri Guharam Ajgalley 5. Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer 6. Dr. Swami Sakshiji Maharaj 7. Dr. Ranjan Singh Rajkumar 8. Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy 9. Shri Ram Shiromani 10. Dr. Ramapati Ram Tripathi

SECRETARIAT Smt. Sunita Sekaran, Joint Secretary Shri T.N. Pandey, Director Shri S. Rangarajan, Additional Director Shri Mohd. Salamuddin, Additional Director Shri Rajiv Saxena, Under Secretary Shri Harish Kumar, Committee Officer

2. * * * 3. * * * 4. * * * 5. * * * 6. * * * 7. * * * 8. * * * 9. * * * 11. * * * 12. * * * 13. * * * 14. * * * 15. * * * 16. * * * 17. * * *

______*Relate to other matters. 12

18. Thereafter, the following representatives of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) appeared before the Committee:

(i) Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, Secretary (ii) K.R. Vaidheeswaran, Joint Secretary (Admin.) (iii) Smt. Sumita Sarkar, Joint Secretary & Financial Advisor (iv) Dr. A. Chakraborty, Scientist „H‟ (vii) Shri Ashwani Gupta, Scientist „G‟ (viii) Dr. S.K. Deshpande, Scientist „G‟ (ix) Shri B.N. Sarkar, Scientist „G‟ (x) Dr. Vipin C. Shukla, Scientist „F‟ (xi) Dr. Suman Mazumdar, Scientist „D‟ (xii) Dr. H. Purushotham, CMD, NRDC

19. The Chairman welcomed the Secretary and other representatives of DSIR and asked the Secretary to make a brief presentation on the Demands for Grants of the Department for 2020-21. The Secretary informed the Committee that they have been allocated Rs.5,385 crore in 2020-21 as against the total allocation of Rs.4,831 crore in 2019-20. He further that although they have asked for an additional amount of about Rs.1000 crore, their absolute bare minimum requirement is of Rs.440 crore to sustain the projects and schemes of the Department. The Committee was further informed that out of Rs.440 crore, Rs.210 crore is obligatory expenditure in the form of fellowships to students and staff salaries. The Committee was apprised by the Secretary that a sum of about Rs.1350 crore was received by the Department as External Cash Flow through various grants, consultancy projects and commercial research works done by CSIR labs. The Committee was informed that the Department is trying to increase its External Cash Flow and enhance utilization by closer industry collaboration and a renewed approach towards monetizing expertise and resources available. The Secretary also informed the Committee about the developments and recent achievements across various fields such as bio- degradable plastics, waste treatment technologies, waste-to-energy technologies such as bio-jet fuel, SARAS aircraft and SARAS-amphibious project, etc.

20. The Chairman and Members then raised various queries and concerns such as the absolute minimum additional funds required by the Department to carry out its planned activities; distinction between essential and obligatory expenditure, augmenting budgetary resources through increasing external cash flow (ECF) and monetizing other assets such as surplus land in CSIR laboratories, CSIR‟s technical expertise; approach to enhance industry collaboration; past achievements of CSIR, production of 19-seater SARAS aircraft etc.

21. The representatives of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, while presenting their views, also responded to some of the queries raised by the Chairman and Members of the Committee. The Chairman also directed the Secretary to furnish detailed written replies to queries/points/issues raised by him and the Members of the Committee, which could not be replied during the meeting, to the Secretariat, within a week. 22. The representatives of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research then withdrew. 23. A verbatim record of the proceedings was kept. 24. The meeting of the Committee adjourned at 4:01 pm.

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XI ELEVENTH MEETING

The Committee met at 9.30 A.M. on Wednesday, the 4thMarch, 2020 in Committee Room „A‟, Ground Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT 1. Shri Jairam Ramesh -- Chairman

RAJYA SABHA

2. Shri R.S. Bharathi 3. Shrimati Vandana Chavan 4. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw 5. Shri Ravi Prakash Verma 6. Shri Binoy Viswam

LOK SABHA

7. Shri Guharam Ajgalley 8. Shri Pradan Baruah 9. Shri Sudarshan Bhagat 10. Dr. Swami SakshijiMaharaj 11. Shri S. R. Prathiban 12. Dr. Ranjan Singh Rajkumar 13. Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy 14. Shri Mahesh Sahoo 15. Shri Francisco Cosme Sardinha 16. Shri Anurag Sharma 17. Shri Ram Shiromani 18. Dr. Ramapati Ram Tripathi

SECRETARIAT Smt. Sunita Sekaran, Joint Secretary Shri T.N. Pandey, Director Shri S. Rangarajan, Additional Director Shri Rajiv Saxena, Under Secretary Shri Harish Kumar, Committee Officer

2. At the outset, the Chairman welcomed the Members to the meeting of the Committee. He informed that the meeting had been convened to consider and adopt the draft 326th, 327th, 328th, 329th, 330th, 331st and 332nd Reports of the Committee on Demands for Grants 2020-21 of the Ministries/Departments of Atomic Energy, Biotechnology, Scientific & Industrial Research, Science & Technology, Space, Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Earth Sciences, respectively. 3. Thereafter, the Committee considered the draft 326th, 327th, 328th, 329th, 330th, 331st and 332nd Reports and adopted the same with slight modifications with respect to the presentation of the 14 budgetary allocations in all the reports. The Committee also decided to present/lay the reports to both the Houses of Parliament on the 6th March, 2020. 4. The Committee also decided to nominate the Chairman and, in his absence, Shri Binoy Viswam and in his absence, Shri Ravi Prakash Verma to present the reports in Rajya Sabha and Dr. Ranjan Singh Rajkumar and, in his absence, Shri Guharam Ajgalley to lay the reports on the Table of Lok Sabha on the 6th March, 2020. 5. The meeting of the Committee adjourned at 10:20 A.M.

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