Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics & IT
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India initiated “Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics and IT” with an objective to enhance the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors in the country.
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)
Objectives:
- To enhance the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors in the country.
- Give thrust to R&D, create an innovative ecosystem and enhance India’s competitiveness in these knowledge intensive sectors.
- To fulfil the commitments made in National Policy on Electronics (NPE 2012) and National Policy on Information Technology (NPIT 2012) which recommend to give special thrust on significantly 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).
- The scheme is also expected to encourage working professionals and non-PhD faculty members to pursue PhD.
Salient features of the PhD Scheme are as follows:
- This Scheme provides 25% more fellowship amount than most of the other PhD Schemes.
- Scheme also provides infrastructural grant of ₹ 5,00,000/- per candidate to the academic institutions for creation/ up-gradation of laboratories.
- 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.
- 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.
- Support for attending international conferences (1000 supports up to ₹ 50,000/- per conference). 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
- Fellowship ₹ 20,000/- per month in addition to the regular income
- 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.
Duration
The duration of scheme is five years for the purpose of selecting candidates for support under the scheme. However, the funding would be continued till 9th year for the commitments already made during the scheme period.
For further details, kindly refer to the portal of the PhD Scheme:
