The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under its State Science and Technology Programme (SSTP), nurtures Centre-State Science and Technology (S&T) cooperation through budgetary support to S&T Secretariat of 28 State/Union Territory (UT) Science & Technology Councils including the state of Tamil Nadu for catalysing the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem at State/UT level through systemic interventions under the six components of the STI ecosystem. These components include Research & Development; Institutional & Human Capacity Building; Innovation; Technology deployment for socio-economic development; Science communication and popularization; and State policies. The programme also extends support to Patent Information Centres (PIC) established at the State S&T Councils including at Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST) to facilitate Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) related activities.

Under SSTP, there is no district-specific allocation of funds. The details of funds sanctioned to TNSCST under SSTP during the last 2 years and the current financial year are given in the table below:

 

S. No.	Financial Year	Funds sanctioned (In INR Lakhs)
		Assistance to S&T Secretariat of TNSCST	PIC, TNSCST	Total
1.	2022-23	93.99	54.25	148.24
2.	2023-24	92.49	--	92.49
3.	2024-25 (till 21.11.2024)	106.24	--	106.24
Total		292.72	54.25	346.97

 

DST has sanctioned Rs. 658.86 Lakhs to SASTRA University, Thanjavur and Rs. 30.17 Lakhs to Government College for Women, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur for strengthening R&D Infrastructure. Additionally, Rs. 86.95 Lakhs were provided to the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T), for research and development focused on millets. Furthermore, DST has sanctioned Rs. 20.00 Lakhs to TNSCST for celebrating National Mathematics Day and National Science Day in schools and colleges across the Tamil Nadu including Thanjavur district during the current financial year.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has funded 6 projects worth Rs. 896.01 Lakhs in areas such as Biotechnology Information System Network, Environment Biotechnology, Livestock, Animal and Plant Biotechnology and Public Health, Food and Nutrition in the institutes in Thanjavur district. Additionally, DBT has sanctioned Rs. 249.62 Lakhs to two colleges viz. Bon Secours College for Women and A. VeeriyaVandayar Memorial Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous) in Thanjavur district under its Star College scheme.

This information was given by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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NKR/ KS

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