DRAFT

Science, Technology, and

Innovation Policy

Government of Jammu &Kashmir

J&K Science Technology & Innovation Council,
Department of Science & Technology.

JUNE 2023
 Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP)

Table of Contents

Description Page No

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

I. Building a robust Science, Technology and Innovation Ecosystem for

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an AtmanirbharBharat

II. Chapters 8

Chapter 1: Open Science 8

Chapter 2: Capacity Development 11

Chapter 3: Financing STI 16

Chapter 4: Research 21

Chapter 5: Innovation and Entrepreneurship 24

Chapter 6: Equity and Inclusion 29

Chapter 7: Science Communication and Public Engagement 33

Chapter 8: STI Governance 37

Chapter 9: STI Policy Governance 42

III. Implementation Framework 45

IV. Monitoring, Evaluation and Feedback Framework 45

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 Science, Technology, Innovation Policy (STIP)

Executive Summary
Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) are the key drivers for economic growth and human
development. For UT of Jammu and Kashmir to march ahead on a sustainable development
pathway to include economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability for
achieving an “Atmanirbhar J&K '' in tune with "Atmanirbhar Bharat", a greater emphasis will be
given on promoting traditional knowledge system, developing indigenous technologies and
encouraging grass root innovation. The emergence of disruptive and impactful technologies
poses new challenges and simultaneously greater opportunities

The new Science, Technology, Innovation Policy aims to bring about profound changes through
short-term, medium-term, and long-term mission mode projects by building a nurtured
ecosystem that promotes research and innovation on the part of both individuals and
organizations. It aims to foster, develop, and nurture a robust system for evidence and
stakeholder-driven STI planning, information, evaluation, and policy research in UT of Jammu
and Kashmir. The policy will identify and address strengths and weaknesses of the STI
ecosystem o f U T to catalyse socio-economic development of the country and also make the STI
ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir nationally and globally competitive.

A broad summary of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) is given as under-

1. STIP will lead to the establishment of a UT level STI Observatory that will act as a central
repository for all kinds of data related to and generated from the STI ecosystem. It will
encompass an open centralised database platform for all financial schemes, programmes, grants
and incentives existing in the ecosystem. The Observatory will be centrally coordinated and
organized in distributed, networked and interoperable manner among relevant stakeholders.

2. A future-looking, all-encompassing Open Science Framework will be built to provide

access to scientific data, information, knowledge, and resources to everyone in the country and
all who are engaging with the Indian STI ecosystem on an equal partnership basis. All data used
in and generated from publicly-funded research will be available to everyone under FAIR
(findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) terms. A dedicated portal to provide access to
the outputs of such publicly-funded research will be created by JKST&IC by coordinating with
all major universities and centres of excellence within and outside the UT of Jammu and
Kashmir. Additionally, full text of final accepted author versions of manuscripts (post prints and
optionally preprints) supported through public funding will be deposited to an institutional or
central repository.

3. Strategies to improve STI education making it inclusive at all levels and more connected
with the economy and society will be developed through processes of skill building, training and
infrastructure development. Engaged Universities will be encouraged to promote
interdisciplinary research to address community needs. Higher Education Research Centres
(HERC) and Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) will be established to provide research
inputs to policymakers and bring together stakeholders. Online learning platforms will be
developed using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to address the issue of
accessibility and to promote research and innovation at all levels. Teaching learning centres

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(TLCs) will be established to up skill faculty members which in turn will improve the quality of
education.

4. With an aim to expand the financial landscape of the STI ecosystem, each department at
UT level and the local governments, public sector enterprises, private sector companies and
startups will set up an STI unit with a minimum earmarked budget to pursue STI activities. STI
investments will be increased through boosting fiscal incentives, enhancing support to industry,
especially Medium Small Micro Enterprises (MSMEs), for pursuing research through innovation
support schemes and other relevant means on a need basis. Hybrid funding models with
enhanced participation from public and private sectors will be created. Efficient disbursement,
communication, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms (time-bound peer reviews along with
technical and transactional audits) will be set up to support conducive investment.

5. The policy aims to create a fit for purpose, accountable research ecosystem promoting
translational as well as foundational research in U T of Jammu and Kashmir in alignment with
national standards. Research and Innovation Excellence Frameworks will be developed to
enhance the quality of research along with promotion of engagements with relevant stake holders.
Proper guidelines will be formulated to enhance the operating and safety protocols related to
R&D. Research culture will be reoriented to recognize social impacts along with academic
achievements.

6. The policy envisions strengthening of the overall innovative ecosystem, fostering Science
& Technology (S&T) - enabled entrepreneurship, and improving participation of the grassroots
levels in the research and innovation ecosystem. An institutional architecture to integrate
Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS) and grassroots innovation into the overall education,
research and innovation system will be established. Collaborations between grassroots
innovators and scientists will be facilitated through joint research projects, fellowships and
scholarships. Grassroots innovators will also be supported for registration, claiming the
Intellectual Property Right (IPR), filing of patent, or any type of legal claim with the help of
Higher Education Institute (HEIs). Advanced tools based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
machine learning will be used for curation, preservation and maintenance of heritage
knowledge.

7. The policy will promote technology self-reliance and indigenization to achieve the larger
goal of atmanirbharta. A two-way approach of indigenous development of technology as well as
technology indigenization will be adopted and focused upon in alignment with national priorities,
like sustainability and social benefit, and resources. National engagements will be facilitated to
gain essential know-how towards creation and development of indigenous technologies. A
Technology Support Framework will be created to facilitate this development. A Strategic
Technology Board (STB) will be constituted to act as a link connecting different strategic
departments. A Strategic Technology Development Fund (STDF) will be created to incentivize
the private sector and HEIs. Spin-off technologies resulting from the larger projects will be
commercialized and used for civilian purposes. Knowledge and evidence driven approach will be
used for identifying critical sectors for the development of disruptive technologies.

8. The policy provides renewed impetus to the mainstreaming of equity and inclusion
within the STI ecosystem. An inclusive culture will be facilitated through equal opportunity for
women along with candidates from rural-remote areas, marginalised communities, differently-
abled individuals , irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds, proportionate
representation of women in selection/ evaluation committees, addressing of ageism related issues

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and consideration of experienced women scientists for leadership roles and regular gender and
social audits in academic and professional organizations.

9. The policy will work towards mainstreaming science communication and public engagement
through the development of capacity building avenues through creative and cross-disciplinary
platforms, research initiatives, and outreach platforms. Locally relevant and culturally-context-
specific models will be developed along with promoting cross disciplinary research in Science
Communication. To improve Science teaching, the engagements between science
communication and science pedagogy will be facilitated. Entertainment platforms such as
television (TV), community radio, comics etc. will be explored to take science to the last mile.
Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society groups will be involved through
popular science programmes and citizen science projects at local and regional levels. Science
Media Centres will be established at national and regional levels to connect scientists with media
persons and science communicators.

10. STIP charts pathways to a dynamic, evidence-informed and proactive national and
International S&T engagement strategy. Engagement with the Diaspora will be intensified
through attracting the best talent back home through fellowships, internships schemes and
research opportunities expanded and widely promoted across different departments. Appropriate
facilitating channels will be created for remote contribution as well.

11. A decentralized institutional mechanism balancing top-down and bottom-up

approaches, focusing on administrative and financial management, research governance, data
and regulatory frameworks and system inter connectedness, will be formulated for a robust STI
Governance. Appropriate mechanisms will be set up at the highest levels for the overall
governance of the STI ecosystem. A robust Research and Innovation (R&I) governance
framework will be set up to facilitate, stimulate and coordinate R&D activities across the sectors.
A Capacity Building Authority will be set up to help plan, design, implement and monitor
capacity building programmes at the national and state level. A strong STI collaboration
framework to strengthen existing channels and create new ones for enhanced inter connectedness
among all relevant stakeholders at the domestic and global levels will be created, promoting
inter-institutional, interdepartmental and cross-sectoral vertical and horizontal linkages and
multi-stakeholder partnerships, to pursue projects in alignment with the national priorities.

11. The policy outlines the institutional mechanism for STI policy governance along with the
implementation strategy and roadmap and monitoring and evaluation framework for the policy
and programs and their interlinkages. To serve all the aspects of STI policy governance and to
provide the knowledge support to institutionalized governance mechanisms, a STI Policy
Institute will be established to build and maintain a robust interoperable STI metadata
architecture. It will conduct and promote locally and nationally relevant STI policy research and
strengthen the science advice mechanism at local, sub-national and national levels. It will
develop long term capacity building programs for STI policy through training and fellowships.
An implementation strategy and roadmap will be devised for STI policy and programs along
with continuous monitoring and timely evaluation mechanisms. The Science, Technology and
Innovation Policy will be guided by the following broad vision;
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(i)To achieve technological self-reliance and position UT of Jammu and Kashmir
among the top three scientific superpowers in the decade to come.
(ii)To attract, nurture, strengthen and retain critical human capital through a
‘people centric’ science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem.

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 (iii)To double the number of researchers, domestic expenditure on R&D and
meaningfully engage private sector in research.
(iv)To build individual and institutional excellence in STI with the aspiration to
achieve the highest level of national and international recognitions and awards in
the coming decade.

To capture the aspirations of a new, future-ready Jammu and Kashmir, by ensuring active
participation, shared responsibility and equitable ownership of all stakeholders; transforming the
STI landscape maintaining the delicate balance between fortifying J&K’s indigenous capacity
and nurturing meaningful national inter connectedness.
1. The policy outlines the institutional mechanism for STI policy governance along with
the implementation strategy and roadmap and monitoring and evaluation framework
for the policy and programs and their interlinkages. To serve all the aspects of STI
policy governance and to provide the knowledge support to institutionalised
governance mechanisms, a STI Policy Institute will be established to build and
maintain a robust interoperable STI metadata architecture. It will conduct and
promote locally, nationally and internationally relevant STI policy research and
strengthen the science advice mechanism at national, sub-national and international
levels. It will develop long term capacity building programs for STI policy through
training and fellowships. An implementation strategy and roadmap will be devised for
STI policy and programs along with continuous monitoring and timely evaluation
mechanisms.

The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy will be guided by the following broad vision;

(i) To achieve technological self-reliance and position J&K among the top three
scientifically sound region in the decade to come.

(ii) To attract, nurture, strengthen and retain critical human capital through a ‘people
centric’ science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem.

(iii) To double the number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) researchers, Gross Domestic
Expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private sector contribution to the GERD every
5 years.

(iv) To build individual and institutional excellence in STI with the aspiration to
achieve the highest level of national and global recognitions and awards in the
coming decade.

To capture the aspirations of a new, future-ready J&K, by ensuring active participation,

shared responsibility and equitable ownership of all stakeholders; transforming the STI
landscape maintaining the delicate balance between fortifying J&K’s indigenous capacity
and nurturing meaningful national inter connectedness.

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 Science, Technology, Innovation Policy (STIP)

I. Building a robust Science, Technology and Innovation

Ecosystem for an Atmanirbhar J&K

Science, technology and innovation (STI) are the key drivers for economic growth and
human development. As India marches ahead on a sustainable development pathway that
includes economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability towards
achieving an “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, a greater emphasis will be given on promoting
traditional knowledge systems, developing indigenous technologies and encouraging
grassroots innovations... The emergence of disruptive and impactful technologies poses
newer challenges but brings great opportunities. A compelling lesson from COVID-19 has
been an unprecedented sharing of purpose, synergy, collaboration and cooperation that R&D
institutions, academia and industry have demonstrated. The new Science, Technology and
Innovation Policy (STIP) must harness the learnings and synergies from the new scenario to
take Jammu & Kashmir on a new path of rapid economic and social development aligned
with national priorities and global competitiveness.

This policy aims to bring about profound changes through short-term, medium-term, and
long-term mission mode projects. The aspirations of the STIP policy in building a nurtured
ecosystem that promotes research and innovation on the part of both individuals and
organizations are:

1. To foster, develop, and nurture a robust system for evidence and stakeholder-driven
STI planning, information, evaluation, and policy research in J&K
2. Enhancing financial resources for STI activities with a long-term vision through
public and private financing.
3. To address the transformative strengths and weaknesses of the R&D ecosystem of
J&K in order to create a purposeful and accountable research ecosystem that
addresses the socio-economic need of the country and at the same time make the
country globally competitive.
4. To accelerate research (including multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research) and
innovation in the UT, and make education at all levels more inclusive and connected
with the economy and the society.
5. To enhance capacity development for inculcating and promoting scientific temper
across the UT through equity, gender parity and inclusiveness catering to the diverse
needs of the UT.

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6. To promote open science and enable access to all outputs and data from public-funded
research and empower STI through means of effective ethical and regulatory
frameworks.
7. To facilitate inter connectedness and collaboration between the different stakeholders
in the STI ecosystem which will enable the addressing of complex issues requiring a
multidisciplinary approach, efficient utilization of resources, and translation of
research into applications.
8. To aim for collective and inclusive global development through national and
international S&T engagement, by maximizing the scope for indigenization,
sustainability, and global competitiveness.
9. To strengthen technological development to address the socio-economic needs of the
UT with special emphasis on sustainable technologies, strategic technologies, and
mega- science.
10. To strengthen the STI ecosystem to build resilience for the future social and economic
disruptions.
11. To ensure a clean environment for the UT’s people and its future generations, through
green initiatives based in science that promote sustainability and clean energy, water,
air, rivers, forests, parks, and neighborhoods.
12. To build an enabling ecosystem for seeding, sustenance, and growth of STI-enabled
entrepreneurship in UT of J&K.
13. To catalyse the application of science to create a secure, clean, inclusive and equitable
energy system, reduce energy poverty, increase resilience against supply disruptions
and climate risks, and enable the transition to a cost-effective carbon future.
14. To enable innovation for better health outcomes and assured universal healthcare, that
is responsive to the needs of the people and that ensures the health security of the
nation
15. To seed, fund, and foster suitable and robust initiatives including collaborations with
government and with industry, in order to promote all these critcalaspirations.

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II. Chapters

Chapter 1: Open Science

1.1 National STI Observatory
1.2 Indian Science and Technology Archive of Research
1.3 Open Data
1.4 Open Access
1.5 One Nation, One Subscription
1.6 Indian Journals
1.7 Research Facilities
1.8 Open Educational Resources
1.9 Libraries
1.10 Learning Spaces

Priority Issues

To promote open science, the public will have the right to access all outputs from research
funded by the UT government, either directly or through funding agencies, or institutions
supported UT government (hereinafter referred to as “publicly funded research”). The right
to access will include, but not be limited to, scholarly publications, research data1 and
resources such as research infrastructures2, instruments, computing facilities, libraries,
learning spaces, etc.

Background

Open Science fosters more equitable participation in science through diverse steps like
increasing access to research outputs, more transparency and accountability in research,
inclusiveness, better resource utilisation through minimal restrictions on reuse of research
outputs and infrastructure, and ensuring constant exchange of knowledge between producers
and users of knowledge. It is important to make publicly-funded research output and
resources available to all too foster learning and innovation. STIP aspires to build an
ecosystem where research data, infrastructure, resources and knowledge are accessible to all.

1
Research Data: The term research data is defined as “recorded factual material/data that is obtained from
observations, experiments, surveys, analysis and other research activities of government-funded research
projects and deemed as objective and necessary to validate research findings,” as per the definition of research
data in US OMB Circular A-18 (Steering Committee of the National Science and Technolog y Council2018).
2
Research Infrastructure is not a universally defined term. Research infrastructure means facilities, resources
and related services that are used by the scientific community to conduct research. (European Commission:
Legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure Consortium – ERIC Practical Guidelines, DOI:
8.2777/79873)

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1.1 A future-looking, all-encompassing Open Science Framework will be built to provide access to
scientific data, information, knowledge, and resources to everyone in the country and all who are
engaging with the Indian STI ecosystem on an equal partnership basis. This framework will be largely
community-driven and supported with necessary institutionalmechanisms and operational modalities.

A STI Observatory as a central repository for all kinds of data related to and generated from
the STI ecosystem will be established. The observatory will be centrally coordinated and
organized in distributed, networked and interoperable manner among the stakeholders. Cross-
cutting interoperable digital platforms within the observatory will be organized into verticals,
including but not limited to:
(i) establishing knowledge and data repositories;
(ii) setting up a computational grid;
(iii) developing a virtual communication and interaction platform;
(iv) enabling virtual access of equipment, laboratories and other physical resources,
talent mapping;
(v) conducting analyses on projects, funding, outcomes, technological capabilities,
Technology Readiness Levels and Business Readiness Levels (TRLs & BRLs); and
(vi) establishing evaluation, accreditation, ranking and rating protocols for
benchmarking.

1.2 A dedicated portal, Science and Technology Archive of Research (STAR), will be
developed to provide access, specifically, to the outputs of all publicly-funded research
(including manuscripts, research data, supplementary information, research protocols, review
articles, conference proceedings, monographs, book chapters, etc.). STAR will be an integral
part and connecting channel of the proposed STI observatory. STAR will be an open-access
portal, interoperable with other repositories and will facilitate interactions between researchers
and users of the platform. It will have state-of- the-art facilities, including storage, and
features to facilitate flexible text and data mining, querying, and visualization.

1.3 Open Data Policy for Publicly Funded Research: All data used in and generated from
public-funded research will be available to everyone (larger scientific community and public)
under FAIR3 (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) terms. Wherever applicable,
exceptions will be made on grounds of privacy, national security and Intellectual Property
Rights (IPR). Even in such situations, suitably anonymised and/or redacted data will be made
available. In all cases, where the data cannot be released to the general public, there will be a
mechanism to release it to bonafide/authorised researchers.

3
FAIR "Facets": Data should be Findable, Data should be Accessible, Data should be Interoperable, Data
should be Re-usable (https://www.force11.org/fairprinciples).

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1.4 Open Access: Full text of final accepted author versions of manuscripts (postprints 4 and
optionally preprints5) along with supplementary materials, which are the result of public
funding or performed in publicly funded institutions, or were performed using infrastructure
built with the support of public funds will be deposited, immediately upon acceptance, to an
institutional repository or central repository.

1.5 Research Facilities: All public-funded scientific resources will be made shareable and
accessible nationally with the use of digital platforms. These scientific resources include, but
are not limited to research infrastructures, laboratory facilities and instruments, ICT and AI-
based resources and high-performance computing facilities.

1.6 Open Educational Resources: Public-funded open educational resources will be made
available under minimally restrictive open content license, with the right of attribution
preserved and translations (especially regional languages) permitted.

1.7 Libraries: Libraries at public-funded institutions will be accessible to the public, subject
only to reasonable security protocols. The public library system will be expanded to all
districts with the help of technological interventions.

1.8 Learning Spaces: Learning spaces will be made universally accessible, based on
international guidelines and standards, especially for people with special needs. Open and
equitable access to all learning spaces (including conference rooms and other infrastructure to
exchange and combine ideas) will be facilitated through a meaningful balance of traditional
methods and modern approaches. Emphasis will be given to create and strengthen more
community-driven learning spaces.

4
Post-Print- A “postprint” is any version approved by peer review.
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-access
5
Pre-print- A “preprint” is any version of an article prior to peer review, such as a draft circulating among
colleagues or the version submitted to a journal.https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-access

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Chapter 2: Capacity Development
2.1 Education and Research
2.2 Skill Building and Training
2.3 Infrastructure

Priority Issues

The aspirations of STIP are to fulfil multifarious responsibilities to function collaboratively

with all stakeholders; to promote holistic growth and development by developing scientific
temperament, quality, access, equity, incorporating citizenship education; to promote
linkages between higher education and industry to revamp economic systems; and to build
R&D infrastructure, its effective usage with easy and equitable access, is another aspect of
strengthening the STI ecosystem. Effective use of advanced technologies is much needed for
capacity building to improve learning outcomes, quality of science education, and equitable
access, leading to excellence in research and development and innovation. Promoting a more
significant interface between science and technology, humanities, and social sciences
disciplines is the need of the hour, which will enhance collaboration between S&T
departments, the industry as well as educational institutions to promote entrepreneurial skills
in vocational education.

Background

STIP aspires to reach towards sustained investments in science and technology that are
necessary to inculcate and promote scientific temper, nurture innovations, and cater to the
needs of the UT. The policy aims to give an impetus to individuals and institutions in
achieving top national and international awards and recognition's over the next decade. This
section outlines strategies to accelerate research and innovation in the country, improve our
education system and teaching-and-learning through research, and make education at all
levels more inclusive and connected with the economy and society.

2.1 Education and Research

Education and research should provide a foundation against failure by inculcating true
scientific temper, discipline and honesty, adherence to the principles of justice, gender parity,
ethical practices and spirit of fair competition and brotherhood.

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A new culture of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) that includes Atmavishwas (self-confidence),
Atmasamman (self-respect) and Atmachintan (self-assessment) must be inculcated among
students at all educational levels.

2.1.1. Cluster School and Innovation hubs in partnership with higher education institutes,
private industries and local communities will be created, for sharing resources and capacities
relevant to curriculum renewal and faculty development. Innovation and Design Thinking
will be introduced in the curriculum. Upcoming and existing innovation related programmes
[such as Atal Tinkering Labs and Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and
Knowledge (MANAK)] will be developed synergistically across schools for better results.
Such programmes will be scaled up with an 8 year future looking strategy. These networked
initiatives should focus upon addressing different concerns of society.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centres will be established starting from the

undergraduate level of university education. Research in innovation practices will be made a
mandatory component of university/college teachers’ professional development programme;
The programme will provide faculty development programmes in Innovation and Design
Thinking. It will encourage and facilitate university/college teachers for international
research collaborations/exchange programmes in STI.

2.1.2 Creative processes to encourage and engage students in science and technology
education will be designed. A focused strategy will be developed to inspire pursuing of
science and technology education at all levels through a significant cultural transformation
within the ecosystem. To enhance Innovation quotient of the country, idea generation and
idea transformation ability right from early education will be encouraged.

2.1.3. A School and Higher Education Mentorship Program will be institutionalized

through university-school linkages, showcasing a concerted focus on innovation-oriented
education at the school and the college levels. This special vehicle programme will help the
process of scouting and nurturing early talent by providing a clear path for career building
in science with aspirations for greater achievements...

2.1.5 For children with extraordinary intellectual abilities in a specific sphere of activity or
knowledge having limited opportunities to enter mainstream education, alternative pathways
will be charted to fully realize the achievement of their potential.

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2.1.6 Students of all educational levels will be given opportunities to get exposure to be part
of leading science laboratories during the period of end-term breaks as part of Scientific
Social Responsibility Policy (SSR 2020).
2.1.7. Distance learning programmes will be strengthened with appropriate technological
means, in order to improve their quality and reach. Provisions will be made for virtual
classrooms, equipped with adequate resources and infrastructure.

2.1.8. Research Excellence Framework for HEIs in UT of J&K will be evolved , which
aims for research assessment to secure the continuation of a holistic, dynamic and responsive
research base across the full academic spectrum within India’s higher education ecosystem. It
will assess the overall research contributions of HEIs every few years, based on parameters of
importance for UT of J&K and India as a whole. Based on the performance in this
assessment, block research grants are given, with the value of such grants calibrated to
provide an incentive for HEIs to improve their performance and national standing.

2.1.9. The transition of education to research will be strengthened by including basic know-
how – and of skills in science communication –of research as a part of every Doctorate of
Philosophy (PhD) course curriculum. A framework for appropriate training and skill
building in this realm will be developed for postdoctoral researchers. This will enable them to
independently build their career in the STI ecosystem.

2.1.10. Studies will be conducted to analyse and forecast the sectors of demand and scope of
career building for PhDs and Postdocs to establish a complete mechanism. HEIs will be
encouraged to design integrated programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) (such as MS-PhD, MD-PhD) to catalyze optimum utilization and
retention of human resources.

2.2 Skill Building and Training

2.2.1. To leverage the engagement of higher education systems with the economy and
community, all universities will be encouraged to be responsive and respectful to the needs of

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The community by conducting interdisciplinary projects involving scientific and
technologicaland social science-based interventions.

2.2.2. ICT and online platforms for skill building are to be leveraged for active learning
practices, to promote research and innovation at all levels. Consortiums will be developed for
the creation of new online courses, simulations, virtual and remote labs for enabling
immersive experiential learning. A library of virtual resources will be developed through
community participation for remote areas. National institutes with advanced lab facilities will
be invited to develop such resources and make it available for others. Virtual Reality
repository can also be developed for this purpose. The repository will be supported with
interactive tools, viz. open-source collaborative development platform inviting data
visualization, data presentation, data analytics, AI, etc. for easy access.

2.2.3. Development of sector-specific skill-based knowledge support mechanisms for

regional communities to sustain the traditional skill and geographical indication.

2.2.4. Inclusion of various groups based on gender, geography, language, disability and
social order, to be promoted through special schemes, scholarships, need-based training and
orientation programmes.

2.2.5. Innovation and Entrepreneurship centres will be established at regional levels in a

collaborative approach with the participation of local Academic and R&D institutions,
industries, MSMEs, Startups, etc.

2.2.6. Vocationally certified workforce will be employed and recognized by the industry.
Such kind of workforce will be incentivized through community grant schemes, by involving
independent communities and civil society organizations.

2.2.7. Teaching-Learning Centres (TLCs) will be created in urban and rural areas for up
skilling of faculty members, to enhance learning experience and engagement, for effective
outcomes. These centres will research on pedagogy as well as design and implement faculty
development programmes to improve the quality of learner engagement. Initiative will be
developed to recognize and nurture talent at an early age by creating roadmaps with the help
of a network of mentors at state and regional levels.

2.2.8. Administrative and management training programmes will be organized for faculties
and scientists to overcome functional silos and enhance efficiency of administrative and
research activities.

2.2.9. Increased focus will be put upon skill-building through hands-on training. For this
purpose, academic institutions will be encouraged to create long-term working relationships
with regional MSMEs to address locally relevant issues. Skill development opportunities will
be created in mega-science and related futuristic technology development engagements.

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2.3 Infrastructure

2.3.1. Higher Education Research Centres (HERCs) will be established in reputed

research-focused universities/institutes in different parts of the UT of J&K. These centres
should also assess the overall direction of the higher education system in the country, and
provide research inputs to policymakers.

2.3.2. Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) will be established, that bring together
industries, MSMEs, startups, R&D institutions and HEIs with the government. This will
provide a long term ongoing collaboration between different STI stakeholders, to improve
industrial research and innovation and enhance global competitiveness.

2.3.3. Transforming existing R&D institutions to research universities. This will foster
better linkages between research and education and also enable effective utilization of
research infrastructure.

2.3.4. A mechanism for the maintenance of existing R&D infrastructure in academic and
R&D institutions will be developed ensuring the more efficient and effective utilization of
existing equipment facilities.

2.3.5. Establishing independently and professionally managed, self-sustaining equipment

infrastructures across the UT of J&K. This will provide easy access and assistance on using
the Sophisticated and Analytical infrastructure to the Academics, R&D institutions, Industry,
MSMEs, NGOs, etc.

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Chapter 3: Financing STI
3.1. Expansion of the STI financing landscape
3.2. Incentivization for STI investments
3.3. STI collaborative funding model
3.4. Governance of STI financing landscape

Background

A robust cohesive financial landscape remains at the core of creating an STI-driven UT of

J&K. It is imperative for this policy to work in tandem with the Fiscal and Industrial policies
of the Government to attract public as well as private sector contribution to the STI ecosystem
leading to its strengthening. This section outlines financial strategies to achieve such self-
reliance and technology competitiveness in alignment with national priorities and aspiration.
It recommends the widening of financial outlay through enhancement of public and private
(domestic and national) STI investments along with academic participation with a pivotal role
of collaborative funding mechanisms. Fiscal incentives and financial support have to be
strengthened to stimulate private sector participation in the STI ecosystem. In order to drive
strategic technological growth, STI investments should be aligned with the critical areas of
national priority through a centralised programme as outlined in Advanced Missions in
Innovative Research Ecosystem (ADMIRE) programme.

3.1 Expansion of the STI Funding Landscape

3.1.1. An STI unit with a minimum earmarked budget will be set up by every department
of the UT of J&K, public sector enterprises, private sector companies and startups to
pursue STI activities with the larger goal of uplifting socio- economic conditions of all
citizens. Each unit will have an operational mechanism and dedicated manpower and will
develop plans that align with national priorities.

16
3.1.2. Public financial assistance is essential to invigorate the STI ecosystem through
increased allocation for innovation ecosystems, infrastructure and critical human resource
development with a special alignment towards critical sectoral growth.

3.1.3. Private financing: To build a robust innovation ecosystem, private enterprises along
with building in-house research capacity, will be encouraged to contribute and collaborate
with knowledge institutions to pursue market-relevant research through mutually decided
agreements. Industry clusters will be encouraged and incentivized wherever necessary, to
engage in collaborative R&D. It is also recognized that Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) funds, as well as voluntary financing corporates will play a pivotal role as they are
utilized to spur contribution to the STI ecosystem and specifically stimulate the research
ecosystem in our education sector.

3.2 Incentivisation for STI investments

Government-mediated incentivisation mechanisms act as a key stimulator for enhancing

R&D and innovation in both the private as well as in the public sectors. The incentivisation
instruments can be understood through its funding and execution patterns. Some of the key
incentives are underlined below:

3.2.1. Boosting fiscal incentives for industries investing in STI through incremental R&D
based tax incentives, tax credit for investing in facilities for commercialization, tax holidays,
tax waivers, target-based tax incentive for specific domains, tax deduction, expatriate tax
regimes, remodeling of patent box regime etc. There will be a reassessment of the possibility
of reviving weighted deduction provisions (of expenditure incurred on in-house R&D).

3.2.2. Enhancing financial support to industry, especially for MSMEs, for pursuing
research through innovation support schemes such as matching grants, small business
innovation grants (under fast track mode), innovation vouchers (SMEs), direct innovation
grants, risk guarantees, with special focus on high risk projects, revenue-based financing,
seed grants, loans, research subsidies, equity, research and IPR credits, open innovation
scheme etc. Innovation bonds along the lines of social impact bonds could be conceptualized
to incentivize the private sector to invest in STI-based startups. All funding agencies will fix
portions of their R&D budget to support MSMEs and other technology-oriented start-ups
with innovative business models in alignment with national needs and priorities. It is
recommended that financial incentives are provided based on stages of innovation involving
idea generation, prototype development, pilot innovation and its commercialization.

17
3.2.3. Flexible mechanism for supplier development programmes for public procurement
in all sectors (especially earmarked for Small & Medium Enterprises - SMEs and Start-ups).

3.3 STI Collaborative Funding Model

The ADMIRE- Advanced Missions in Innovative Research Ecosystem programme is

envisaged to achieve greater socio-economic self-reliance and STI leadership. It will be
characterized by portfolio based funding mechanisms which support distributed and localized
collaborative mission-oriented projects through a long-term investment strategy with Key
Performance Indicators (KPI). All stakeholders of the STI ecosystem including public,
private (local and MNCs), academic and other non-governmental sectors will be impactfully
engaged in the programme to ensure holistic participation and development of inter linkages.
The programme will extend to cross-cutting and critical domains that include but are not
limited to (with special emphasis on critical infrastructure support) strategic areas, areas of
economic and social security, emerging, sustainable and indigenous technologies and
traditional knowledge. The programme will also assist and direct public-private partnerships
for the development of STI knowledge-based infrastructure and creative assets. Under the
aegis of ADMIRE, industry-led R&D, with government support wherever necessary, will be
introduced. A Ministry or a group of Ministries in consultation with industry/industry bodies
will design and execute projects through co-funding mechanisms where they participate
equally.

18
3.4. Governance of STI Financing Landscape

To undertake efficient governing mechanisms for the STI funding landscape, a UT level STI
Financing Authority will be created. The centralised authority will play the following roles:

3.4.1. Strengthening financial outlay. A corpus fund will be established for investing in
various long and medium-term projects, commercial ventures, start-ups, technology diffusion
and licensing etc. to address identified priority areas in the STI ecosystem. Ministries and
associated departments lacking dedicated R&D units will establish concerned divisions to
augment the overall R&D budget and scope of allocation. An STI Development Bank
will be created to direct long term investments in select strategic areas.

3.4.2. Streamlining STI financial ecosystem through strengthening and providing greater
autonomy to existing funding organizations with the objective of promoting sector specific
research along with interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. Appropriate mechanisms
for funding decisions based on accountable peer review and a balanced expert committee
composition in terms of experience, age and gender will be strengthened. The incentivisation
system will be characterized by efficient governance to ensure ease in accessibility for private
players.

3.4.3. Time-bound peer reviews along with technical and transactional audits will be
conducted from time to time to monitor public financing across various stakeholders of the
STI ecosystem. Efficient monitoring and evaluation mechanisms will be put into place for
gap analysis to support conducive investment in critical S&T areas. Selection of projects and
release of grants will be based on robust evaluation supported by innovative monitoring
mechanisms.

3.4.4. Formulation of a mechanism for timely disbursal of grants and regular networking and
communication among funding agencies: The disbursal of research grants for scientific
projects, fellowships to research scholars and stipends to students carrying out advanced
research and higher education are crucial measures to ensure excellence in scientific research,

19
Education and innovation. Timely disbursement of such grants and funding is most important
recognition for good research work. In this respect, a fixed annual evaluation cycle of grants
and funds disbursal would be effective. Regular interactions and engagements among funding
agencies also bridge the gaps in communications and disbursement of funding.

3.4.5. In the Higher Education sector, centralised norms for allocation of overheads will be
formulated by funding agencies.

3.4.6. The STI Observatory6 will encompass an open centralised database platform for all
financial schemes, programmes, grants and incentives existing in the STI ecosystem.

6
Refer to Chapter 1 Section 1.1

20
Chapter 4: Research
4.1. Expanding S&T system: Promoting foundational and translational Research
4.2. Enhancing the quality of research
4.3. Engaged research
4.4. Ease of doing research

Background

During the last decade, India emerged as a major knowledge producer, ranking in the top five
countries. However, in terms of impact, India’s scholarly citations helped it gain a place in
only the top ten countries. Similarly, India also featured in the top ten countries in the total
number of patent applications filed. However, the research output from India should also be
seen in the light of the fact that India has significantly lower FTEs (per million population)
engaged in R&D activities and GERD than the leading countries such as the USA and China.
The strengths and weaknesses of the Indian R&D ecosystem need to be holistically
addressed. This Chapter outlines strategies to transform and create a fit for purpose,
accountable research ecosystem in India within the ambit of a rapidly changing world.

4.1. Expanding S&T system: Promoting foundational and translational

research
UT of J&K will strive to expand its share in the national research output. Apart from
continuing to invest in inputs, it would also strive to create a seamless STI ecosystem by
adopting a holistic approach that addresses all stakeholders of the ecosystem. To make the
R&D system forward-looking, seeding of new research fields in advanced areas will be
encouraged. To address key challenges in fields of priority areas of national importance,
profound research will be promoted and advocated across the STI ecosystem. Quality
foundational research in areas of disruptive potential will be encouraged. Simultaneously
for the relevance of translational research, early direction from government and industry
and society would be sought.

Expansion of the S&T system will be done through a focus on

1) priority areas in which India should emerge as a world leader,
2) addressing local problems, and
3) engagement and participation of industry to ensure R&D also aligns with industry needs.

21
4.1.1 Mission mode programmes with deliverables for technology and innovation will be
established in the priority sectors (e.g. Agriculture, Water, Health, Energy and
Environment) along with identification of challenges and opportunities in these sectors based
on current and future needs. Pathways to leverage the resources in order to achieve the goals
will also be identified.

4.1.2. Strong collaborations that build quality science for national problems will be
encouraged and frameworks for such mutually beneficial collaborations will be encouraged at
both individual and institutional level.

4.1.3. Team science collaboration will be facilitated between industry and academia,
with shared financial resources, and risks and benefits. Industry-led R&D programmes in
priority sectors will also be encouraged through ADMIRE 7. Specific technology areas for
development can be identified by a ministry or a group of ministries in consultation with
industry/industry bodies.

4.1.4. Domestic manufacturing capacity in specific areas of priority sectors will be enhanced
through R&D and technology upgrade.

4.2. Enhancing the quality of research

4.2.1. Through Research and Innovation Excellence Frameworks, research quality will
be enhanced by expanding the talent pool and through national benchmarking exercise.
Joint appointments across government, academia and industry at UT level will be facilitated
to attract the best talent into the research ecosystem. Mentoring programmes and
supplementary incentivization mechanisms will be developed to guide and motivate early
career researchers and young scientists to realize their potential to conduct meaningful
research. Risk-taking in R&D will be incentivized and suitably rewarded at the individual
and the institutional levels.

4.2.2. Research culture will be reoriented wherein the quality of research will be
assessed, recognized and rewarded on the basis of both academic achievement as well as
social impact. Research ethics will be given due importance.

22
4.2.3. Operating and safety protocols related to R&D will be enhanced through the
formulation of proper guidelines. Minimal safety requirements for labs will be mandated
for upcoming R&D infrastructure.

4.3. Engaged research

The STI ecosystem needs a focus on delivering what is needed, which requires strong
engagement with stakeholders (industry, academia, R&D labs and social actors). Research
solutions should address a plurality of solutions for different regions/socio-economic strata
including a focus on rural problems in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. It also requires the
development of products, processes, technology etc. that incorporates engagement, testing
and feedback from the end-user from an early stage in order to ensure uptake, impact and
benefit to the society. In addition, a lot of publicly-funded research is largely invisible to
target stakeholders such as the line ministries who often contract out research that has already
been carried out, but of which they are unaware. Therefore, indigenous utilization of research
outputs will be promoted by user-tested development and dissemination of information to the
relevant stakeholders. To achieve this, a function will be created to scan and share indigenous
research with stakeholders and promote programmes and approaches that are relevant to line
ministries. It will also identify gaps and communicate them to research funders. The function
will also ensure that user-stakeholders are engaged from an early development stage,
particularly for technology projects.

4.4. Ease of doing research

Apart from the primary activity of doing research, researchers also have to spend a
considerable amount of their time (and resources) on administrative activities related to
research projects. Journal paywalls, and lack of data and knowledge sharing further hampers
their ability to freely and easily conduct research activities. To reduce the administrative
burden on the researchers, digital platforms and e-governance will be used for grant-
management -all activities from award, funding and utilisation of grants to measurement of
research outputs. International best practices of grant management will also be explored.
Access and sharing of knowledge and resources will be improved through the use of online
platforms such as STAR9, implementing open data, and open access policy, and by enabling
access to journals and databases. Benchmarks for ‘ease of doing research’ will be developed
so that research activities are adequately funded, are less bureaucratic and accountability is in
both directions i.e. the donor and the receiver.
Connecting the invention ecosystem with the innovation ecosystem will be emphasized.
Further, weakness in the invention and innovation ecosystem will be identified to take
research into the market and to the community. Both knowledge pull from the invention
system as well as the knowledge push from the innovation ecosystem are necessary to
achieve the goal of a vibrant R&D ecosystem in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

9
Refer to Chapter 1 Subsection 1.2

23
Chapter 5: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
5.1. Strengthening Innovation Ecosystem
5.2. Fostering S&T-Enabled Entrepreneurship
5.3. Integrating Grassroots Innovation with the Research and Innovation Ecosystem

Priority Areas

Strengthening the innovation ecosystem to attain sustainable economic progress and global
competitiveness. Creating an enabling ecosystem for seeding, sustenance, and growth of
science and technology entrepreneurship in Jammu and Kashmir. Integrating Traditional
Knowledge Systems (TKS) and grassroots innovations into the education, research and
innovation system.

Background

Systemic investments in STI are not only critical for creating, shaping, and sustaining the
future industrial sectors of the nation but also crucial for delivering the benefits of scientific
research for the economic development of the society at large. There is a need for a
comprehensive support framework for strengthening and enhancing Jammu and Kashmir’s
innovation and entrepreneurship landscape by encouraging wider participation in innovation
activities, broad basing the funding ecosystem, enhancing interconnectedness and
streamlining regulatory regimes. This Chapter outlines strategies for strengthening the overall
innovative ecosystem, fostering S&T-enabled entrepreneurship and improving participation
of the grassroots levels in the research and innovation ecosystem.

5.1. Strengthening Innovation Ecosystem

The innovation landscape emanating from the socio-cultural, geographical, economic,

historical and political contexts will be systematized, strategized and synergized to attain
sustainable economic progress and competitiveness. STI efforts and interventions will be
aligned with policies of different sectors and themes, including education, skill development
and industrial growth.

5.1.1. The distinct roles of multiple stakeholders including higher-education institutions,

research and development organisations, funding agencies, regulatory bodies, non-
governmental organizations and business enterprises in the innovation ecosystem, will be
recognised and their inter-linkages are to be strengthened, at the national, the subnational and
the sectoral levels.

5.1.2. Industry –Academia linkages will be deepened by joint programmes for both academic
experts and young scholars with industry practitioners, to harness the expertise and get

24
practical exposure. Such linkages at the school and the undergraduate levels will further
strengthen the foundation laid by the NEP 2020 to foster critical thinking and scientific
temper. Provisions for extended sabbaticals in academia and industry will be widely
promoted to support knowledge and expertise exchange between industry and academia.

5.1.3. Innovation clusters and technology parks will be developed and leveraged for
collaborative activities, cost sharing and Intellectual Property (IP) creation. The stakeholders
in these spaces will be incentivised based on performance and periodic assessments.

5.1.4. Theme-based distributed virtual incubators and accelerators will be created in different
parts of the country using cluster-based approaches. Such new models of incubators will be
supported by adequate financial incentives, mentoring and expertise.

5.1.5. Mission-oriented efforts will be incentivised for tackling various local and/or region-
specific issues of societal relevance. Cross learnings across states will be encouraged. This
will address developmental challenges and help in realising Sustainable Development Goals.

i. The investment will be prioritised in “core R&D” rather than “peripheral R&D”
especially in the manufacturing sectors.
ii. Frameworks, scales and measurements will be developed and utilised for assessing
innovation. These frameworks/surveys will facilitate integration and diffusion of
innovation-led activities at regional and national levels as well as enhance global
value chains and networks.
iii. An ecosystem of R&D and innovation will be created in rural and remote areas,
particularly in tribal areas. Research and academic institutions as well as innovation
clusters will be built in such geographical locations.
iv. For promoting gender inclusion in entrepreneurship, avenues will be created to access
resources and opportunities for training and mentoring. Equitable provisions will be
created for the participation of women in entrepreneurial networks/clusters.

5.1.6. Special focus will be given to creating a conducive environment for sector-specific
innovation. Overarching bodies with focus on sector-specific-policies, regulation and trade
agreements will be created/strengthened, that can work as a synergistic agency to bring all
others on a single platform and push forward the sector-specific agenda with support from the
government, the academia, the non-profits, the private partners and the industry. This will
help in avoiding overlaps and in developing connections with all the agencies involved in
innovation. This will also enable the monitoring and evaluation of the activities. A
mechanism for coordination on innovation will be developed among various departments and
ministries such as agriculture, animal husbandry, veterinary sciences, entomology, wildlife
and forest conservation, health department and related organisations.

25
5.2. Fostering S&T-Enabled Entrepreneurship

S&T-enabled entrepreneurship-technology-driven, innovation-focused enterprises - is critical

for creating, shaping, and sustaining the future industrial sectors of the country as well as
delivering the benefits of scientific research for socio-economic development of the society.
An enabling ecosystem for seeding, sustenance, and growth of science and technology-
enabled entrepreneurship calls for:

5.2.1. Investing in basic, foundational, and reliable physical and social infrastructure for
S&T -enabled entrepreneurship to thrive. This includes investments in key infrastructure
in HEIs, Scientific R&D laboratories, hospitals, ICT across the country as well as
complementary mission driven investments in research and development with S&T-enabled
entrepreneurship in critical technology areas. This also includes promoting entrepreneurship
education programmes across the country by involving local communities i.e. schools, higher
educational institutions, non-profit organizations, scientists, entrepreneurs, and other
stakeholders.

5.2.2 The policy will put in position enabling mechanisms for development and growth of a
start-up culture by proactive empowerment, infrastructure building and funding opportunities.
Incentivization mechanisms will be set up to aid the expeditious conversion of ideas into
start-ups.

5.2.3. Inculcating a culture of S&T-enabled entrepreneurship by ensuring provisions for

an end to end support to promote enterprise creation. This includes creating a continuum
of well-integrated funding and technology support programmes to support science and
technology-enabled entrepreneurship from the ideation, proof of concept, and prototype
development stages to the testing, validation, and manufacturing stages of innovative
enterprises. This also includes enhancing public procurement, supplier development
programmes, and corporate open innovation schemes to incentivize innovation from a wide
range of participants.

5.2.4. Creation of a nurtured and supportive environment for S&T-enabled

entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ideas to flourish and thrive. This includes
encouraging wide-based participation from stakeholders in the STI ecosystem (private sector,
public sector enterprises, non-profit organizations, cooperatives, industry associations etc.)
but also in leveraging existing domain knowledge and expertise of highly successful STI-
based enterprises and entrepreneurs in reaching scale and impact.

5.2.5. Reducing systemic risks in S&T-enabled entrepreneurship through clear,

accessible, and current regulatory guidance and providing funding support across all
stages of innovation. This includes streamlining overlapping regulatory regimes to ensure
compliance for meeting product standards, setting quality controls, reducing barriers to risk
capital by innovation-focused enterprises, and fostering wide-based stakeholder support for
funding science and technology-enabled entrepreneurship.
26
5.2.6. Enhancing consistency, speed, clarity, and transparency in programme delivery
for early-stage S&T-enabled entrepreneurship. This includes streamlining and
consolidation of overlapping schemes, enhancing awareness, and reducing bureaucratic
hurdles in accessing existing schemes. A centralised database on all forms of financial
incentives will be made available to promote incentives for innovation and enable continuous
monitoring and evaluation of program performance.

5.3. Mainstreaming Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge

Systems

For integrating Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS) and grassroots innovation into the
overall education, research and innovation system, an institutional architecture will be
established in different technical and research institution campuses, to recognise and involve
grassroots innovators, which in turn will inspire students to innovate. Avenues for
collaborations between grassroots innovators and scientists will be initiated/facilitated
through joint research projects, fellowships and scholarships. Also, crowdsourcing will be
encouraged, wherever possible, to improve the innovative capabilities and productivity.

5.3.1. Advanced tools based on machine learning and AI will be used for curation,
preservation and maintenance of heritage knowledge. Scientific and technical collaborations
of the Ministry of Culture with scientific ministries will be promoted to find solutions for
recreating and maintaining the heritage and TKS.

5.3.2. Assessment, testing and vetting of various kinds of traditional knowledge applicable in
agriculture, biodiversity, healthcare, climate change and other locally relevant thematic areas,
will be encouraged.

5.3.3. The Grassroots innovators will be supported for registration, claiming the IPR, filing of
patent, or any type of legal claim with the help of HEIs. Training for marketing their

27
innovations, establishing start-ups and market networks in the territories of tribal hamlets and
elsewhere, placing adequate systems for quality control and standardisation will be developed to
support grassroots innovations.

5.3.4. Avenues for entrepreneurship development will be created to foster a vibrant grassroots
startup ecosystem. Incubators and accelerators will be incentivised to support scaling up and
commercialisation of grassroots innovations, developed by social R&D organisations. This
would generate opportunities to innovate full-fledged alternative solutions to local problems.

5.3.5. Technology Parks will be built to serve as a center for demonstration, communication
and technology transfer. It will also be responsible to train personnel on locally relevant
technology development and management.

5.3.6. New funding mechanisms will be developed and investment in knowledge

intermediaries/Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) will be made and knowledge sharing
platforms will be expanded.

5.3.8 New fiscal incentives, financial schemes, subsidies will be examined to commercialise
innovation and catalyze investments into R&D.

5.3.9. Research efforts will be encouraged for developing cost-effective technologies and
encourage grassroots innovations to reduce drudgery, address the scarcity of farm labour.

28
Chapter 6: Equity and Inclusion (E&I)
6.1 Mainstreaming Equity and Inclusion
6.2 Institutionalising Equity and Inclusion
6.3 Assessing Equity and Inclusion

Priority Issues

There is an inequitable participation in STEM with respect to gender, social, regional and
economic diversity in India in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular. Moreover, there
is also an absence of an inclusive culture in the practice of science, besides inadequate
incentives and institutional arrangements. Lack of E&I related assessment indicators,
frameworks and instruments also exist.

Background

In the Indian context, equity and inclusion in STI originate from the wide socio-cultural and
economic settings and contexts. The need for Equity and Inclusion in STI is an addition to
India’s on-going efforts to build equitable STI capacity and capability as well as to create
social, industrial and territorial inclusivity in the processes of STI. Drawing inspiration from
some of the interventions like Stand up India (2016), Technology Vision 2035 (2016),
Scientific Social Responsibility Policy 2020 (SSR 2020) and the recent National Education
Policy (2020), the STI Policy aims to address discriminations and inequities based on gender,
caste, religion, disability, geography and language for the advancement of STI.

While E&I is brought in an all-encompassing manner in earlier chapters, this chapter

highlights some aspects of E&I which need explicit mention. It discusses policy interventions
to bring about structural and institutional transformations for the participation, promotion,
retention and incentivisation of excluded and marginalised groups, particularly the vulnerable
sections of the society.

6.1. Mainstreaming Equity and Inclusion

E&I should be added as a sub-text to all STI policies and processes (existing and
upcoming), designed to create and nurture a vibrant STI ecosystem, in an inclusive manner.
It will be the foundational element of the STI ecosystem. The policy will foster equitable and
effective participation, promotion, retention and incentivisation to do science and innovation,
which include traditional knowledge and address inequities in STI, stemming out from the
UT’s socio-economic and cultural landscape. E&I in STI is not only to be seen from the point
of view of correcting historical injustices and compensating for earlier deprivations, but also
to make real impacts such as to increase the number of FTE researchers and to contribute to
socio-economic development.

29
6.2. Institutionalising Equity and Inclusion

Taking into consideration inequalities stemming out from the country’s socio-economic and
cultural landscape, an E&I Charter will be developed for tackling discriminations in STI,
based on gender, caste, religion, geography, language, disability and other exclusions
and inequalities. The Charter will be J&K-centric, drawing essence from different E&I
frameworks like the Athena SWAN (Scientific Women's Academic Network) Charter 14. It
will aim to create a cognitive thrust among STI related institutions, for recognising their
commitments in promoting equity and inclusion and address hindrance in the advancement of
STI.

6.2.1. Creating Inclusive Culture

i. There will be equal opportunity in academics for women along with candidates from
rural – remote areas, marginalised communities, differently abled groups, irrespective
of their caste/creed/religion/race.
ii. Enhanced representation of women, at least 30% of the total strength, in all decision
making bodies including selection and evaluation committees will be mandated.
iii. A specific highlight will remain upon promoting talented women scientists in
leadership positions across research and science administration to create inspiration
for women aspiring to pursue science careers.
iv. Differently-abled individuals, including Divyangjans, will be given special attention.
Institutions are to be mandated to make structural and cultural changes for supporting
such excluded groups, in order to pursue and practice STI.

6.2.2. Networks for Awareness, Outreach and Mentorship

v. Catch Them Young: Efforts will be made to attract young women/girls and other
excluded groups (in school – early college) and foster awareness and interest in
STEM fields and eventually, careers in science.
vi. Relatable, relevant role models are to be created and existing role models and
mentorship programmes will be scaled up.
vii. On-going initiatives in different public and private institutions, science academies,
etc. are to be scaled-up. Partnerships will be created with existing agencies and
institutions involved in such activities, at national and international levels. Adequate
funding and resources can be allocated to promote and sustain such networks.

14
The Athena SWAN Charter is a framework established in 2005 in the United Kingdom (UK). It aims to help and encourage
institutions in achieving gender equality. It supports the promotion of inclusive working practices that can increase retention of
valued academics and professional and support staff, demonstrating the institution's commitment to an equitable working
environment. The framework has been adopted by various countries like Ireland and Australia (the SAGE initiative). India is
working towards contextualising a similar framework to mainstream and institutionalise E&I in STI.

30
6.2.3. Recruitment, Retention and Promotion

viii. Ageism-related issues and minimisation of career breaks are to be addressed for
effective retention of trained women into the STI workforce. In this case, all
professional career milestones, such as recruitment, awards and funding schemes, age
cut-offs will be implemented considering academic age rather than biological/physical
age. This will not restrict to gender but will include a broader context.
ix. Dual recruitment policy will be encouraged in all governing bodies, funding agencies,
so that couples do not face the challenge of ‘choosing’ a spouse's career over theirs.
The aim is to bring gender neutrality through such interventions.
x. Flexibility in work timings and adequate parental leave will be provided to cater to
maternity, childbirth, child care and other emergent needs. Childcare benefits should
be gender-neutral.
xi. All public-funded research institutions and universities to have a daycare centre for
young children of employees and also provision for elderly care, wherever applicable.

6.2.4. Institutional Mechanisms

Based on the principle of the Charter/framework, an institutional mechanism will be created

to bring about diversity, equity and inclusion in STI. It will aim to remove barriers to
participation, promotion and incentivisation and ensure the recruitment, retention and
effective engagements of the excluded groups and marginalised communities. The given
mechanism will also take into account the following aspects:
xii. Provisions will be made for sensitisation, orientation, counselling with regard to
gender, sexuality, ethnicity, language and disability, prior to initiation of training,
education, recruitment and/or funding. Ethical training on sensitivities of various
biases-invisible or otherwise- must be imparted to all.
xiii. Regulatory provisions are to be strengthened for ensuring examination and enquiry of
complaints about discrimination, biases and harassment. It will be followed by
disciplinary action proportionate to the severity of the offence, as is done for other
forms of ethical misconduct.

6.3. Assessing Equity and Inclusion

6.3.1. Concerted and collaborative efforts are to be made with institutions having expertise
and knowledge in E&I-related research. The collaboration of researchers in gender studies,
social sciences and science policy with scientists will be encouraged to understand E&I-
related gaps and barriers.

31
6.3.2. Frameworks, instruments, databases and indicators will be developed to understand
E&I-specific issues in STI and provide evidence to related STI policies and practices.

6.3.3. Statistics will be collected on drop-out rates of women, Divyangjan community,

socially and economically backward communities, individuals from remote areas and other
marginalised groups in science education and research. E&I data will include, but not be
limited to, sex-disaggregated data on STI, data on suicide rates and mental health issues in
STI.

6.3.4. Academic and professional organisations will be encouraged to conduct gender audits
and social audits, to propel the organizations to proactively promote gender neutral
recruitment and retention of employees, for ensuring equitable, not necessarily, equal
representation. These processes will have adequate representations from all marginalised and
excluded groups, to address issues of E&I in a more cohesive manner.

32
Chapter 7: Science Communication and Public
Engagement
7.1. Capacity building
7.2 Research
7.3 Outreach
7.4 Mainstreaming Science Communication

Background

It is the fundamental duty of every Indian citizen to "develop a scientific temper, humanism
and the spirit of inquiry and reform". In alignment with this constitutional requirement, there
is an overarching aspiration to address social problems using STI. Although there are several
existing mechanisms and institutions for science popularisation, communication gaps still
exist between scientists and society which hampers citizens’ participation in scientific
endeavors. Science communication has the potential to bridge these gaps. Hence there is a
need for creating awareness and recognition for science communication as a field of practice,
building a strong research ecosystem in the field, developing a mechanism for training and
capacity building, networking and mentorship. STIP recognises the need for scientists to
engage effectively with the general public and is keen to ensure that such engagements are
fruitful. It aims to revitalise the science communication ecosystem and promote the reciprocal
relationship between science and society by the democratisation of science through upstream
engagement and a citizen-centric approach. This Chapter outlines strategies to mainstream
science communication and public engagement through capacity building avenues, research
initiatives and outreach platforms.

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7.1Capacity Building

7.1.1. Creative and cross-disciplinary platforms of Science Communication will be

promoted and facilitated to make STI accessible to all. Such platforms would enable dialogue
and knowledge transfer between researchers, science communicators and the public, raising
awareness on local issues and facilitating necessary behavioral change.

7.1.2. Citizen science projects, stakeholder consultations, co-creative experiences, and policy
interventions will be supported. Community-centric programmes and regional science
centres will be encouraged to promote science communication in regional languages
with local and hyper-local contexts for last-mile connectivity.

7.1.3. Infrastructure for training and capacity development for science communication
will be created to conduct and facilitate courses, workshops, internships, Massive Open
Online Courses and mentorship. Short term courses in science communication will be
introduced appropriately at all levels of education.

Science communication skill sets will be incorporated as a necessary component for different
levels of scientific training starting from school level and progressing through undergraduate,
graduate, postdoctoral, professorial, etc.

Appropriate incentives for career progression and continuous professional development

opportunities for science communication professionals will be provided.

7.2. Dialogue will be facilitated and promoted to discuss themes at the intersection of
science and society by developing centres, programmes, workshops, and talks. A dedicated
national conference for science communication as well as science communication sessions
within scientific conferences will be organised to build a network of science communicators
and facilitate the exchange of knowledge, skill and experiences.

7.2.1. Publicly accessible, constantly updated, and searchable databases of science

communication-related resources and opportunities will be facilitated.

7.3. Research

7.3.1. Cross-disciplinary research on science communication will be facilitated through

research grants, fellowships, and positions. Themes like critical thinking, countering
misinformation, promoting scientific temper, and frameworks for evaluating Science
Communication will be encouraged.

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Research would also involve identification of the barriers to science communication
including stereotypes particularly for women involved in Science Popularisation activities,
and mechanisms to promote engagement between scientists and social scientists.
High impact, open access academic journals for publishing science communication-related
research will be popularised.

Science communication research requires locally relevant and culturally-context-specific

models for public engagement in regional languages.

7.3.2. Learning and collaborations for intertwining science engagement and science
pedagogy will be facilitated to improve science teaching and for the better incorporation of
the history and philosophy of science, scientific method and critical thinking within science
education.

7.3.3. The scope of entertainment platforms such as folk arts, theatre, dance, poetry,
comedy, comics, maps, community radio, and interactive digital platforms will be
explored forthe dissemination of scientific knowledge.

7.4 Outreach

7.4.1. In line with the national policy on Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR 2020),
scientists and researchers will be motivated and incentivised to engage in Science
Communication and Public Engagement Activities. Institutes and organizations will be
encouraged to earmark a percentage of allocated budget for science communication and
public engagement activities.

7.4.2. NGOs and other civil society groups will be involved for popular science
programmes and citizen science projects at the local and regional level that include
environment monitoring, biodiversity mapping, etc. Innovative ways of involving a
variety of stakeholders such as politicians, NGOs, industry and social scientists, in such
outreachprograms and projects will be explored.

7.5. Mainstreaming Science Communication

Despite several attempts to popularise science, mainstreaming of science communication has

met with little success. There is a need to bring such activities from the periphery to the
forefront.

7.5.1. A UT level science movement for popularising science among students and inculcating
interest for the sciences among the masses will be launched. This will include organizing
science festivals, exhibitions, plays, webinars and other creative modes of engagement to
make science learning exciting. The focus of the movement is to motivate

35
children and youth to pursue science careers. Similar movements may be initiated by States
and Union Territories (UTs) individually and in collaboration with the Central government.

7.5.2. The existing science museums infrastructure will be strengthened using advanced
technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality, etc. through collaborative efforts
among relevant ministries. Efforts will be made to build a museum of natural history to make
people, especially young individuals, aware and enthused to pursue learning in sciences.

7.5.3. Every public-funded institution and department will have a dedicated wing set-up for
science communication and public engagement in STI-related activities.

7.5.4. Funding channels will be diversified through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models
to promote science popularisation activities.

7.5.5. Science Media Centres will be established at national and regional levels as an
interface between media persons, scientists and science communicators that can enable
mainstream media to increase its coverage of scientific topics.

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Chapter 8: STI Governance
8.1. Institutional Architecture
8.2 Research and Innovation Governance
8.3. Strengthening STI Interconnectedness

Priority Issues

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) governance mechanisms need to be made more
efficient both administratively and financially. Dynamic monitoring, evaluation and
incentivization framework need to be strengthened. In addition, it is imperative to address
issues related to rationalising data and regulatory frameworks. There is also the challenge of
weak interconnectedness across the ecosystem.

Background

A strong STI ecosystem can prosper only when premised upon an efficient governance
mechanism with functional autonomy, transparency and adaptability to changes. Currently,
our STI ecosystem is faced with the challenges related to institutional architecture, issues of
research and innovation governance and weak interlinkages. To address these impediments
from a perspective of efficient governance, there is a pressing need to chart a path of
institutional synergy at the local and national levels. This Chapter outlines strategies for
implementing modern and scientific governance to ensure Jammu and Kashmir’s
preparedness for meeting the current challenges and future directions.

8.1. Institutional Architecture

A decentralized institutional mechanism balancing top-down and bottom-up approaches,

focusing on administrative and financial management, research governance, data and
regulatory frameworks and system interconnectedness, will be formulated for a robust STI
Governance. The governance mechanism will focus on ensuring the autonomy of function for
stakeholders complemented with accountability. Best practices in governance mechanisms
will be mapped for cross-learning among relevant stakeholders.

8.1.1. To provide renewed focus and stimulation to the STI ecosystem, an appropriate,
governance mechanism with centralised coordination with de-centralised functionality
will be set up

8.1.2. An inter-sectoral, inter-ministerial UT level STI Governance mechanism will be

set up at the highest level, for building synergy and improving coordination among various
ministries/departments/organizations to strengthen STI ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir.

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8.2. Research and Innovation Governance

8.2.1. A robust Research and Innovation (R&I) governance framework will be set up and
adequately linked with the proposed ‘National Research Foundation’ (NRF)17 to facilitate,
stimulate and coordinate R&D activities across the sectors. This will be guided by the overall
STI governance mechanism set up at the highest level.

8.2.2 Lateral recruitment (minimum 25%) of professionals and subject matter experts will be
mandated in all scientific ministries for a finite duration with comparable roles,
responsibilities and empowerment to a regular official.

8.2.3. Institutional interventions will be made to address issues related to individual

researchers and research groups in terms of creating a conducive working environment. A
particular focus will be given to academic mental health issues including peer pressure,
mentor-mentee relationship and work-life balance.

8.2.4. A suitable metric will be developed to evaluate and recognize the outcome and impact
of research activities with respect to its direct relevance to Indian needs, while continuing to
maintain international comparability. This metric must reflect the meaningful impact of
science on society, solving local problems and resource optimization among others.

8.2.5. Standardized Research and Innovation Excellence Frameworks (RIEF), based on

international benchmarks, will be formulated to ensure cohesive and transparent evaluation
of all kinds of research and innovation. The framework will set cross-country benchmarking
tools that will be positioned to assess the performance of STI in key priority areas, using a
setof indicators such as sectoral R&D progress, patents, and other knowledge products.

8.2.6. Capacity development efforts for R&I will be strengthened through the establishment
of a Capacity Building Authority. This will help in planning, designing, implementing and
monitoring of capacity building programmes at the national and state levels.

8.2.7. To ensure transparency, accessibility and accountability within the STI ecosystem, a
comprehensive administrative and financial management will be put in place within the
broader R&I governance framework. It will further assist in streamlining programmes
and

17
Refer to National Research Foundation: NEP 2020, Chapter 17

38
schemes to avoid duplication of efforts and resources among various ministries and
departments. It will further aid in strengthening the translational research chain and its
management by providing necessary support mechanisms through the life cycle from
inception of an idea to product development and commercialization.

8.2.8. To promote STI across the ecosystem, an STI enabling environment will be created
to stipulate funding opportunities, ownership, product certification, market access, and public
procurement. The enabling ecosystem will be facilitated by (i) enhanced fund availability
through various sources including from public and private sectors, (ii) joint ownership of
patents in consortia-led R&D, (iii) financial support for patent filing costs, (iv) monitoring of
risks and antitrust activities, (v) market creation by easing public procurement norms (review
L1 criteria) and supply chains, particularly for startups and MSMEs, (vi) updating product
certification standards and accredited testing facilities for emerging innovations, and (vii)
fast-track accelerators and incubators.

8.2.9. The Intellectual Property (IP) regime will be strengthened and issues related to IP
ownership, licensing, sharing, commercialization (patent box regime), transfer modalities
and IP related regulatory frameworks will be streamlined. Patent filing and management
processes will be made simpler and less time-consuming. There will be focus on
raising mass awareness related to IP along with sensitizing young researchers and
scientists about processes forpatent filing, maintenance and commercialization.

8.2.10. In consultation with relevant stakeholders, a robust data governance mechanism

and associated guidelines will be formulated for scientific data, including research data, to
ensure appropriate data classification, ownership, storage, interoperability, retention, ethics
and privacy.

8.2.11. A component of anticipatory governance will be built into the overall R&I
governance framework to prepare the UT for unforeseen crises and emergencies.
Establishment of a central focal point for appropriate forecasting, planning and
execution, will be explored. Additionally, robust surveillance and early warning systems
for emerging

39
threats such as infectious diseases will be strengthened through technologies such as digital
health, artificial intelligence, mobile labs and so on.

8.2.12. To strengthen security in sectors such as health, food, agriculture and environment
etc., scientific, technical and regulatory expertise will be sought to promote open innovation
and equitable access across the ecosystem. In the health sector, an enabling environment for
large scale and low cost manufacturing of essential products such as drugs, vaccines and
medicines will be promoted, including innovative licensing approaches where necessary.

8.3. Strengthening ST I Interconnectedness

8.3.1 A strong STI collaboration framework to strengthen existing channels and create new
ones for enhanced interconnectedness among stakeholders at the domestic and global levels
will be created. This framework will outline institutional mechanisms to promote effective
and outcome-driven collaborations and generate a common pool of resources. It will lead to
inter-sectoral, interdisciplinary, and inter-institutional collaboration for sectoral innovations.

8.3.2. The collaboration framework will focus on promoting inter-ministerial and inter-
departmental linkages across sectors to pursue collaborative projects in alignment with the
national priorities. Inter-institutional linkages among academic and research institutes will
also be facilitated to enhance multidisciplinary and trans disciplinary research. This will be
based on careful pre-collaboration analysis of strengths and weaknesses of respective
ministries/departments/institutions and identification of gaps and opportunities that can be
addressed through collaborative efforts. Provisions for social scientific responsibility and
patent pooling will be specified.

8.3.3. A multi-stakeholder collaborative model including government, industry and

academia will be developed based on successful models such as Virtual Integrated Platforms,
City-based and domain-based clusters, Government-Owned Contractor-Operated (GOCO)
etc. This will aid in defining research objectives and aligning priorities with pre-decided time
frames and responsibilities. In addition, strong interlinkage among various facilitating
agencies within the innovation landscape will be encouraged.

8.3.4. Industry-Academia linkages will be further strengthened through the development

of trust-building pathways to pursue collaborative research and translate academic research to
market through institutional support and adequate incentives. Innovative partnership models
will be established to promote partnerships between academia, start-ups and MSME to speed
up the process of commercialization at local levels.

8.3.5. End-user community linkages will be developed and strengthened to ensure last- mile
delivery of S&T-led innovations. Strong interconnection with civil society organizations,
NGOs, charitable organizations, regional and local bodies will be promoted.

40
Pathways will be created to enable public-private-civil society consortia in key priority areas
such as connecting farmers and scientists for ensuring access to technology and innovation,
which would enhance agricultural production and increase farmers’ income.

8.3.6. Channels will be created for strategic government departments to partner with industry
and academia to engage in R&D activities in critical areas. Flexible knowledge and talent
exchange models will be developed to facilitate hassle-free collaborations in strategic
areas.

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Chapter 9: STI Policy Governance
9.1 Institutional Mechanism for STI Policy Governance
9.2 Formulating Implementation Strategy and Roadmaps
9.3 Monitoring and Evaluation of STI Policies and Programs
9.4 Policy and Programme Interlinkages

Priority Issues

The success of any policy depends on how it is implemented and governed. There is a critical
need to build a robust STI policy governance system with respect to evidence gathering
through data and policy research, evidence-based policymaking, policy to programme
translation and interconnection, implementation, monitoring, review/assessment, and
feedback. Setting up an institutional mechanism for STI policy research in different sectors
and thereby strengthening the evidence-supported science advice mechanism is one of the
priorities.

Background

STI Policy governance defines and guides the planning, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of STI policies and programmes. The STI Policy aims to develop and nurture an
effective, transparent, responsible, accountable and self-reliant STI ecosystem. Through
consistent evaluation of the performance of various institutions, policies and programmes,
ensuring the equitable representation of diverse groups and adequate feedback mechanism;
the policy governance will strengthen STI policies and processes. Agile policy governance in
place will respond to emerging challenges, at the sub-national and national level. This
Chapter outlines institutional mechanisms for STI Policy Governance, implementing strategy
and roadmap, monitoring and evaluation of the policy and program and their interlinkages.

9.1. Institutional Mechanism

An STI Policy Institute, with a strong national, will be established with a mandate to serve
all aspects of STI policy governance. This STI Policy Institute will be positioned within and
governed by the apex-level STI governance institutional architecture18 and function as a
dedicated knowledge support unit to institutionalised governance mechanisms.

The STI Policy Institute will also provide the knowledge support for other regional/sectoral
and sub-regional STI planning, coordination, evaluation and capacity building. The
Institution will work closely with existing policy institutions and think tanks, as a hub to
connect, promote and support local and regional institutions, in order to strengthen the

42
 STI policy ecosystem. The STI Policy Institution will help to ensure concordance,
harmonisation and linkages of and with STI policies and other policies and programmes.

9.1.1. Interoperable STI metadata architecture

One of the primary responsibilities of the STI Policy Institute is to build and maintain a
robust interoperable STI metadata architecture. The metadata includes:
● Inputs such as R&D expenditure, funding pattern, sectoral resource mapping, FTEs
etc.
● Processes such as industry-academic interlinkages, the career trajectory of
researchers, gender balance in STEM, national and international linkages etc.
● Output such as scientific papers, scholarly proceedings, patents, inventions, skilled
human resources etc.
● Outcome such as technologies, innovations, startups, socio-economic outcomes etc.

9.1.2. Strengthening STI Policy Research

The STI Policy Institute will conduct and promote nationally and internationally relevant STI
policy research, to identify policy gaps and provide evidence for effective policymaking. It
will also work towards expanding policy research in different sectoral and thematic areas.

9.1.3. Strengthening Science Advice Mechanism

Data generates information; policy insights are built upon the information which forms the
evidence base. Science advice mechanism, at sub-regional, regional and UT levels, will be
strengthened by systematically linking the evidence base with the apex-level advisory and
governance mechanisms.

9.1.4. Capacity Development Programmes

The STI Policy Institute will also play a critical role in developing long-term capacity in STI
policy through training and fellowship programmes. The institute will work closely with the
stakeholders including academia, industries, autonomous and independent think tanks and
research and policy institutions in identifying gap areas and will develop tailored capacity
development programmes to build both institutional capacity as well as critical mass of
policy professionals.

9.2. Formulating Implementation Strategy and Roadmaps

Evidence-driven and decentralized approach will be followed in translating policy objectives

into actions through well-structured implementation strategies. The strategy will include
identification of priority areas, implementing agencies, stakeholders and planning the process

43
of implementation. Stakeholders are key in formulating implementation strategies and
roadmaps for programme design. The proposed STI Policy Institute will work with, and
provide necessary knowledge support to all the stakeholders and implementing agencies in
developing feasible implementation roadmaps.

9.3. Monitoring and Evaluation of STI Policies and Programmes

Mechanisms will be put in place for continuous monitoring and timely evaluation of policy
and programme implementation. These activities are critical ensuring the policy objectives
are getting translated in the expected direction. Stakeholder feedback and adaptation
mechanisms will be incorporated to fine-tune the policy/programme implementation
strategies. Appropriate exit strategies will also be developed to remove policy instruments
whenever necessary, based on the dynamic evaluation.

9.4. Inter-Sectoral Linkages

The existing policies will be interlinked across the sectors by creating systematic synergy
between scientific and socio-economic ministries and departments. By doing so, shared
ownership, equal responsibility and complementaries will be created among various
ministries, departments, funding bodies and implementing agencies. Such interlinkages will
be institutionalized for long-term benefits.

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III. Implementation Framework

The implementation strategy will be devised through a robust institutional mechanism. The
implementing agencies will be guided by this mechanism in the tasks of landscape analysis,
institutional mapping, identifying stakeholders and resources. Coordinated actions across a
range of actors with proactive leadership and a culture of collaboration across the STI
landscape will be fostered. While identifying and engaging with the stakeholders for STI
policy planning and coordination, indiscriminate representation of experts from science and
social science domains will be ensured.

Once the roadmap for the implementation is developed, the implementing agencies will focus
on capacity building. The STI Policy Institute will provide knowledge support to different
STI departments and agencies, in the training of STI workforce for implementation and
monitoring. The policy and programme milestones will be set up at the beginning of the
implementation by the implementing agency with the guidance of the STI Policy Institute.
From the beginning of the implementation and throughout the process, systemic
communication to generate and share the information and feedback on the process of
implementation will be ensured.

IV. Monitoring, Evaluation and Feedback Framework

Digital platforms will be created for monitoring, impact assessment, accounting and other
analyses of STI initiatives. A feedback mechanism will be established between policymakers
and relevant stakeholders after the implementation process begins. Baseline and mid-term
reviews will be conducted and a transparent reporting mechanism for implementing agencies
will be created to ensure regular updating of the policy progress.

Methods such as social assessments through household surveys, focused group discussions,
process tracing, participatory mapping of STI planning and implementation can be used to
monitor and evaluate the policy implementation. Quantitative measurements/indicators-
specific to the policy and/or programme- will be used alongside qualitative measurements to
assess policy impact. Metrics will be created or a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats (SWOT) analysis will be conducted to map policy implementation programs, aligned
with bench-marked aspirational outcomes.

45