ANRF Launches PAIR Programme for Research
Why focus: GS3 Science. ANRF is a major research reform. Tests the 'Hub-and-Spoke' mechanism via 'How-Many-Correct' organizational structure MCQs.
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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BEFORE: Research funding through SERB primarily went to already established, premier institutions based on individual proposals. NOW: PAIR mandates a hub-and-spoke model where top institutions must partner with up to seven emerging universities to secure cluster funding.
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BEFORE: The apex science funding body (SERB) was headed by the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology. NOW: The ANRF Governing Board is directly headed by the Prime Minister of India, elevating the strategic importance of scientific research.
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BEFORE: Funding was entirely state-sponsored with limited scope for private capital integration in core university grants. NOW: Private institutions acting as hubs in the PAIR network are required to contribute 25 percent of their allocated budget, encouraging public-private financial synergy.
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BEFORE: Budget distribution was mostly centralized to the primary grantee institution. NOW: PAIR enforces a strict 30:70 budget ratio, ensuring 70 percent of the cluster funds directly reach the spoke institutions to build nascent infrastructure.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
With Reference ToWith reference to the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) programme, consider the following statements: 1. It operates under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) which subsumed the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). 2. The funding distribution mandates that the hub institution receives 70 percent of the network budget while the spoke institutions share the remaining 30 percent. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?