Union Cabinet approves NRF Bill 2023; Govt to introduce in Monsoon Session of Parliament

The bill will also repeal the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) established by an act of Parliament in 2008 and subsume it into NRF

The Central Government is likely to introduce the NRF Bill in the Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon session. The central government has earmarked Rs 50,000 crore for the NRF which will be spent during five years (2023-28), as per the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP).

University Grants Commission Chairman, Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar talking about the Bill said that the decision by the Union Cabinet to introduce the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023, in Parliament is a most welcome step.

“The efforts made by Higher Education Institutions to enhance the research ecosystem on their campuses will get an impetus. NRF will provide an excellent opportunity for academia, industry, and research institutions to work together on the most pressing challenges of our country to make India the front-runner in research and innovation,” said UGC Chairman.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the introduction of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023 in the Parliament. The approved Bill will pave the way to establish NRF that will seed, grow and promote Research and Development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.

Rs 50,000 crore to be spent on NRF
The bill, after approval in the Parliament, will establish NRF, an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), at a total estimated cost of Rs. 50,000 crores during five years (2023-28).

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be the administrative Department of NRF which will be governed by a Governing Board consisting of eminent researchers and professionals across disciplines. Since the scope of the NRF is wide-ranging – impacting all ministries - the Prime Minister will be the ex-officio President of the Board and the Union Minister of Science & Technology & Union Minister of Education will be the ex-officio Vice-Presidents. NRF’s functioning will be governed by an Executive Council chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

NRF will forge collaborations among the industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions, and create an interface mechanism for participation and contribution of industries and State governments in addition to the scientific and line ministries. It will focus on creating a policy framework and putting in place regulatory processes that can encourage collaboration and increased spending by the industry on R&D.

The bill will also repeal the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) established by an act of Parliament in 2008 and subsume it into NRF which has an expanded mandate and covers activities over and above the activities of SERB.