Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : STRIDE Scheme

Mains level : Trans-disciplinary Research in India

• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a new scheme – ‘Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy’ (STRIDE).

STRIDE Scheme

• STRIDE will provide support to research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important and globally significant.
• It shall support research capacity building as well as basic, applied and transformational action research that can contribute to national prioritiers with focus on inclusive human development.
• It shall support creation, development and integration of new ideas, concepts and practices for public good and strengthening civil society.
• It will strengthen research culture and innovation in colleges and Universities and help students and faculty to contribute towards India’s developing economy with help of collaborative research.

 A move for Trans-disciplinary research

• Trans-disciplinary research is a team effort of investigators from different disciplines to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological innovations that integrates and transcends beyond discipline-specific approaches to address a common problem.
• Trans-disciplinary research goes beyond mere production of knowledge and extends to the practical use of the knowledge outside academic endeavour.
• In essence, it takes into consideration the societal impact of knowledge enunciating as what should be the main aim of research.
• It creates unity of intellectual frameworks beyond the disciplinary perspectives and solve problems by going beyond the boundaries of disciplines to involve various stakeholders.
• Trans-disciplinary research generates knowledge through use of multi and inter-disciplinary concepts and integrates new theories among science and society.

Objectives

• To identify young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity, and promote innovation and support trans-disciplinary research for India’s developing economy and national development.
• To fund multi institutional network high-impact research projects in humanities and human sciences.

Components of the Scheme

Component-1

• It will endeavour to identify the motivated young talents with research and innovation aptitude in universities and colleges.
• It will provide research capacity building in diverse disciplines by mentoring, nurturing and supporting young talents to innovate pragmatic solutions for local, regional, national and global problems.
• This component is open to all disciplines for grant upto 1 crore.

Component-2

• It will be mainly to enhance problem solving skills with help of social innovation and action research to improve wellbeing of people and contribute for India’s developing economy.
• Collaborations between universities, government, voluntary organizations and industries is encouraged under this scheme.
• This component is open to all disciplines for grant upto 50 lakh – 1 crore.

Component-3

• It will fund high impact research projects in the identified thrust areas inhumanities and human sciences through national network of eminent scientists from leading institutions.
• Disciplines eligible for funding under this component include: Philosophy, History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Psychology, Liberal Arts, Linguistics, Indian Languages and Culture, Indian Knowledge Systems, Law, Education, Journalism, Mass Communication, Commerce, Management, Environment and Sustainable Development.
• Grant available for this component is upto 1 crore for one HEI and upto 5 crores for multi institutional network.
• To encourage high quality high impact research in humanities, there is a provision to identify experts and invite them to develop a proposal.
• UGC is also proposing to provide a grant of Rs 2 lakh for developing proposals.