Parliament Question: INSPIRE Programme

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 539 ANSWERED ON 22/07/2026 INSPIRE PROGRAMME 539. SMT. MAHIMA KUMARI MEWAR: SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI: SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI: Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) the progress made under the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Programme during the last five years, including component-wise details of the number of students and young researchers supported, along with the number of students and young researchers supported component-wise particularly beneficiaries from Odisha and Nabarangpur Parliamentary Constituency; (b) whether the Government proposes to further strengthen the INSPIRE Programme to encourage meritorious students to pursue higher education and research in science; (c) if so, the details thereof; and (d) the measures taken to improve outreach, awareness and participation under the Programme, particularly in rural, remote and Aspirational Districts, including Nabarangpur Parliamentary Constituency in Odisha and Rajasthan and details of the beneficiaries covered thereunder? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH) (a) to (d): Over the last five years, the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Programme of the department of science and technology has systematically nurtured scientific talent at different stages of the academic and research pipeline through its Page 1 of 4four major components. INSPIRE MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) promotes innovation and scientific creativity among students aged 10-17 years (Classes VI-XII) by encouraging them to develop and showcase original ideas and innovations. INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) supports meritorious students aged 17-22 years pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies in natural and basic sciences by awarding 12,000 scholarships annually, each valued at ₹80,000 per year. INSPIRE Fellowship encourages outstanding graduates and INSPIRE scholars to pursue research through full-time Ph.D. programme(s) by providing financial support up to five years, including a fellowship of ₹37,000 per month as Junior Research Fellow (JRF), ₹42,000 per month as Senior Research Fellow (SRF), admissible House Rent Allowance (HRA), and an annual contingency grant of ₹20,000. INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship supports outstanding postdoctoral researchers, generally in the 27-32 years age group (with applicable age relaxations for reserved categories), through a five-year fellowship. Fellows receive ₹1,25,000 per month, an annual increment of ₹2,000, and a research grant of ₹35 lakh over the fellowship period. The Government has undertaken a series of targeted interventions to significantly expand the reach and inclusivity of INSPIRE Programme, with a special focus on rural, remote, and aspirational districts across the country including Nabarangpur Parliamentary Constituency in Odisha and in the state of Rajasthan. These efforts include extensively deep dissemination of information through State Education Departments, District Education Officers, schools, and digital platforms; organization of awareness campaigns, orientation programmes, webinars, and capacity-building workshops for teachers and school authorities to improve the quality and reach of nominations. In addition, District, State, and National Level Exhibitions and Project Competitions (DLEPCs, SLEPCs, and NLEPCs) are hosted to identify, recognize and nurture innovative ideas among school students. To further strengthen the innovation ecosystem, mentorship programmes have been organized in collaboration with premier institutions such as IITs, NITs, IISERs, and other leading scientific organizations, providing selected students with guidance on prototype development, innovation, and scientific Page 2 of 4research. These sustained efforts have a deep-reaching impact on the Society through participation in the INSPIRE programmes percolating across the country. A growing number of students from rural and remote districts have benefited through innovation grants, mentoring support, and opportunities to showcase their scientific talent on national platforms. Collectively, these interventions have strengthened the scientific temper, the culture of inquiry, fostered grassroots innovation, expanded equitable access to science education, scholarly support, and research fellowships and strengthened young scientific talent represented from every region of the country. The Government has been committed to promotion of the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Programme to encourage meritorious students to pursue higher education and research in sciences. The component-wise progress made during the last five years, including the number of students and young researchers supported under each component is provided below: Program/Financial Year 2021- 2022- 2023- 2024- 2025- 22 23 24 25 26 INSPIRE-MANAK 52720 43381 46926 50009 49805 INSPIRE-SHE 18039 19771 18236 20354 24276 INSPIRE Fellowship 2768 2872 2811 2448 3364 INSPIRE Faculty 474 338 299 225 477 Fellowship The year-wise number of beneficiaries from Odisha under the various components of the INSPIRE Scheme during the last five years is given below: Program/Financial Year 2021- 2022- 2023- 2024- 2025- 22 23 24 25 26 INSPIRE-MANAK 3659 3067 3823 3409 3755 INSPIRE-SHE 28 37 57 46 46 INSPIRE Fellowship 11 56 28 06 29 INSPIRE Faculty 2 5 3 2 2 Fellowship Page 3 of 4The year-wise number of beneficiaries from the Nabarangpur Parliamentary Constituency of Odisha under INSPIRE MANAK component of INSPIRE Scheme during the last five years is given below: Program/Financial Year 2021- 2022- 2023- 2024- 2025- 22 23 24 25 26 INSPIRE-MANAK 56 106 149 116 72 The total number of beneficiaries under the INSPIRE Programme from the State of Rajasthan is given below: Program/Financial Year 2021- 2022- 2023- 2024- 2025- 22 23 24 25 26 INSPIRE-MANAK 10019 5993 6830 6599 5720 INSPIRE-SHE 2464 936 1992 2155 1541 INSPIRE Fellowship 2 20 14 1 23 INSPIRE Faculty 0 5 4 0 4 Fellowship ***** Page 4 of 4