Govt plans to launch PM research fellowships for IIT graduates from next academic year

The quality of research depends on people who undertake it and that is why it is important the best minds are encouraged to take it, a top HRD official said.

New Delhi: To encourage the bright students to take up more research work, the government is considering to launch a Prime Minister's research fellowship programme for the IIT graduates.

The quality of research depends on people who undertake it and that is why it is important the best minds are encouraged to take it, the India Today quoted a top HRD official as saying.

"A committee headed by former director of IIT Mumbai Anil Kakodkar recommended that third year students of IITs and NITs should be initiated into PhD programmes," an official said.

It is hoped the programme would encourage innovation which in turn will help boost productivity and raise the standards of the people in the country.

According to official sources, the ministry is expected to extend the fellowship programme to around 1,000 students from the next academic year.

The IIT council is expected to meet on August 23 to discuss the modalities of the programme.

It is envisioned that under this programme, B Tech students in the IITs will register for PhD immediately on completion of the undergraduate course.

"The idea is to make research attractive to the fresh IIT passouts so that they can focus their energies on path breaking research which can throw up solutions and strengthen the academic environment in the long run," the report quoted an unnamed official as saying.