By IANS
New Delhi : In his bid towards building a “knowledge society”, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Friday announced Rs.850 million for scholarships to science students in 2008-09.
He said: “We must encourage our children to take to careers in science and research and development.”
The ministry of science and technology will introduce a scheme called Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) that will include scholarships for young learners (10-17 years), scholarships for continuing science education (17-22 years) and opportunities for research careers (22-32 years).
“I propose to provide Rs.850 million in 2008-09 for this inspired contribution to building a knowledge society,” Chidambaram added.
India has been trying to retain more and more students in science streams and this announcement is an extension of that effort to attract and retain students to study science and do research.