**Executive Summary:**
This document provides details on research fellowships offered by the Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) (erstwhile SERB), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to rural and underprivileged students in India. It outlines the number of beneficiaries over the last five years, reservation policies, and steps taken to promote these fellowships. The information was provided in response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1665 on July 30, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Beneficiaries of Fellowship Schemes:**
* **CSIR:** Provides support under its Capacity Building and Human Resource Development Scheme. The number of research students supported, with a breakdown of rural vs. urban/semi-urban background, is provided for each year from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
* **ANRF (erstwhile SERB):** Supported researchers through programs like JC Bose National Fellowship, National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (NPDF), Ramanujan Fellowship, and SERB-POWER Fellowship. The total number of researchers supported is provided for each year from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
* **DST:** Supported beneficiaries through programs like Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) and Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN). The total number of beneficiaries is provided for each year from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
* **Reservation and Quota:**
* **CSIR:** Offers reservation in its CSIR-UGC JRF/NET Examination for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Divyangjan (PWD), and Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
* **ANRF (erstwhile SERB):** Has a special program (IRG, erstwhile EMEQ) to support research and development for SC/ST communities, including JRF/SRF appointments with fellowships.
* **Popularizing Fellowships:**
* **CSIR:** Provides age relaxation to candidates from OBC-NCL, SC/ST/PwD/Third gender/Women categories. Application fees are lower for candidates from OBC-NCL, SC/ST/PwD/Third gender/EWS categories. Relaxation in marks for NET eligibility is provided to OBC, SC, ST, PwD, and Third gender candidates (50% in Master's degree compared to 55% for General/Unreserved).
* **ANRF (erstwhile SERB):** The NPDF scheme supports motivated young researchers across the country, including those from rural and different sections of society.
**Impact Analysis:**
**Rural and Underprivileged Students:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from research fellowships and relaxed eligibility criteria, increasing access to research opportunities.
* *Action Required:* Apply for relevant fellowships, taking advantage of age and fee relaxations, and meet the relaxed NET eligibility criteria.
**Researchers (SC/ST Community):**
* *Impact:* Benefit from targeted research and development support, including fellowship opportunities.
* *Action Required:* Explore and apply for opportunities under the IRG (erstwhile EMEQ) program offered by ANRF (erstwhile SERB).
**General/Unreserved Category Students:**
* *Impact:* Awareness of the criteria needed to apply for the fellowships.
* *Action Required:* Ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria, especially the required marks in their Master's degree for the NET exam.
**CSIR, ANRF (erstwhile SERB), and DST:**
* *Impact:* Continued implementation and management of fellowship programs, adherence to reservation policies, and outreach to promote opportunities.
* *Action Required:* Continue to administer and promote the fellowships, ensuring equitable access and support for all eligible candidates.
Key Entities Referenced
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR: An autonomous research and development organisation in India.
Science and Engineering Research Board SERB: A statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, that promotes basic research in science and engineering.
Department of Science and Technology DST: A department within the Ministry of Science and Technology in India responsible for promoting new areas of science and technology.
Anusandhan National Research Foundation ANRF: Formerly SERB, supports researchers across the country through various programs.
Telangana: A state in India, mentioned in the context of backward districts.
JC Bose National Fellowship: A fellowship program under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (formerly SERB) to support research.
National Post-Doctoral Fellowship NPDF: A post-doctoral fellowship program under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (formerly SERB).
Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research INSPIRE: A program by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to attract young talent to science.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1665
(ANSWERED ON 30.07.2025)
Research Fellowships for Rural and Underprivileged
1665. SHRI KUNDURU RAGHUVEER:
Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:
(a) the details of number of rural students and researchers benefitted
from Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Science and
Engineering Research Board (SERB) and Department of Science and
Technology (DST) fellowship schemes during the last five years;
(b) whether there is any reservation or quota for students from backward
districts such as those in Telangana, if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken to popularize research fellowships among
rural and underprivileged students?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR THE
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
The number of research students supported by the Council of
Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) under its Capacity Building
and Human Resource Development Scheme during the last five years
and their distribution on Rural/ Urban classification is as under:
Year Number Research Research
of students students
Research having rural having
scholars background Urban/Semi-
Urban
background
2020-21 9765 4590 5175
2021-22 10885 5116 5769
2022-23 9185 4317 4868
2023-24 7289 3426 3863
2024-25 7796 3664 4132Anusandhan National Research Foundation (erstwhile SERB)
Total number of researchers (including those from rural background)
across the country supported by the Anusandhan National Research
Foundation (erstwhile SERB) under different programs, namely JC
Bose National Fellowship, National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF),
Ramanujan Fellowship, SERB-POWER Fellowship during the last five
years is as under:
Year Total number of
researchers
2020-21 277
2021-22 335
2022-23 305
2023-24 202
2024-25 225
Department of Science and Technology (DST)
Total number of beneficiaries (including those from rural background)
across the country supported by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) under different programs, namely Innovation in
Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) and Women in
Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN) during the last five
years is as under:
Year Total number of
beneficiaries
2020-21 34067
2021-22 41911
2022-23 53152
2023-24 63289
2024-25 68464
(b) CSIR provides reservation in its CSIR-UGC JRF-NET Examination to
candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes
(ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Divyangjan (PWD) and
Economically Weaker Section (EWS). Further, ANRF (erstwhile SERB)
has a special program as IRG (erstwhile EMEQ) to support research
and development activity for SC/ST communities of rural and different
sections of society, which includes the appointment of JRF/SRFs
where fellowship is being paid.(c) To popularise CSIR research fellowships among rural and
underprivileged students, CSIR provides age relaxation to candidates
belonging to OBC-NCL /SC/ST/PwD/Third gender/Women categories.
Also, students belonging to OBC-NCL /SC/ST/PwD/Third gender/EWS
are also given advantage in application fee, which is less compared
to the candidates belonging to the General/Unreserved category.
Further, the candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC)
/Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST)/ Persons with Disability
(PwD)/ Third gender category are given relaxation in marks to be
eligible for appearing in NET Exam i.e. 50% marks (without rounding
off) in Master’s degree or equivalent examination are eligible for this
Test compared to 55% for General/Unreserved category students.
Further, ANRF (erstwhile SERB) has NPDF scheme to identify
motivated young researchers and provide them support for doing
research in frontier areas of science and engineering all across the
country including rural and different sections of the society.
*****