Budget 2023 | Ministry of Science & Technology gets ₹16,361 crore
The Hindu
Bulk of the hike has gone to the Department of Science and Technology
The Ministry of Science & Technology has received an allocation of ₹16,361.42 crore in the Union Budget, a nominal increase of 15% from the previous budget estimate. Between 2021-22 and 2022-23, the Ministry had received a 3.9% decrease.
The bulk of the hike has gone to the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which has received ₹7,931.05 crore, up 32.1% from last year.
The Ministry of Science & Technology had an important part to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially supporting research and innovation on vaccines, medical devices, and drugs.
Apart from the DST, it includes the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), which received ₹2,683.86 crore, a nominal hike of 3.9%, and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), which received ₹5,746.51 crore (1.9%).
Most of the DST’s increase comes from a ₹2,000 crore allocation to the National Research Foundation. The government announced this entity in 2021 with an outlay of ₹50,000 crore over five years to “strengthen the governance structure of the research-related institutions and [to] improve linkages between R&D, academia, and industry”.
The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the DBT, an implementing body under the government’s ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’ in 2020 to develop COVID-19 vaccines and augment vaccine manufacturing, has received a 40% cut.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences has received ₹3,319.88 crore, a hike of 25.11%. While high, this is relatively lower than the previous hike of 40%.