Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics & IT | UPSC

• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology initiated “Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics and IT” .

OBJECTIVES

• To enhance the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors in the country.

• National Policy on Electronics (NPE 2012) and National Policy on Information Technology (NPIT 2012) also recommended- increasing the number of PhDs in the country to enable India to compete globally in the coming decades.
• To develop an ecosystem of research, development and IP creation in these knowledge intensive sectors.
• To Support 1500 PhD Candidates including both Full-Time (500) and Part-Time (1000) in each of ESDM and IT/ITES sectors (Total: 3000 PhDs).

IMPLEMENTATION

• Digital India Corporation would be responsible for providing implementation support to the scheme.

SALIENT FEATURES

• This Scheme provides 25% more fellowship amount than most of the other PhD Schemes.

• Part-time PhD candidates get one time incentive on completion of the PhD.
• Scheme also supports 200 Young Faculty Research Fellowships in the areas of ESDM and IT/ITES with the objective to retain and attract bright young faculty members in these sectors.

DURATION

• The duration of scheme is five years for the purpose of selecting candidates for support under the scheme.

FUNDING OUTLAY

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the scheme in 2014 for a period of nine years with a total estimated cost of ₹ 466 crores (Rupees Four Hundred Sixty Six Crores Only)

FULL TIME PHD CANDIDATES

• Fellowship : ₹ 31,500 p.m.(revised as ₹ 38,750/- pm w.e.f. 1-4-2019) (I & II yr); ₹ 35,000 (revised as ₹ 43,750/- pm w.e.f. 1-4-2019)(III to V yr).
• Annual Contingency Grant support ₹ 30,000/- per year for consumables etc.
• Reimbursement of Rent for those PhD candidates who are not provided accommodation or choose not to avail the accommodation provided by the institution.

• Any individual full-time PhD candidate would be eligible to avail the support for attending a maximum of 2 conferences under this scheme.
• Scheme also provides infrastructural grant of ₹ 5,00,000/- per candidate to the academic institutions for creation/ up-gradation of laboratories.

PART-TIME PHD CANDIDATE

• One time incentive of ₹ 2,50,000/- on successful completion of the PhD.

YOUNG FACULTY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

• Research/Contingency Grant of ₹ 5,00,000/- per year for research expenses and presenting research work, to be granted for a period of up to 5 years.