VAIBHAV Fellowship Scheme

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Source-This post is based on the article “VAIBHAV Fellowship Programme announced to
connect Indian STEMM diaspora with Indian Higher Educational Institutions” published
in PIB on 15th June 2023.

What is the News?

Government of India has launched the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik(VAIBHAV) fellowship
programme.

What is VAIBHAV Fellowship?

Aspect Details

Aim To connect the Indian Science, technology, engineering, mathematics and

medicine (STEMM) diaspora with academic and R&D institutions in India
for collaborative research.

Nodal Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and

Ministry Technology

Eligibility 1. The applicant should be a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian

(for Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), currently living abroad.
applicants) 2. The applicant must have obtained a Ph.D/M.D/M.S degree from a
recognized University.
3. Applicant must be a researcher engaged in an overseas academic /
research / industrial organization with proven track record of research &
development working in the top500 QS World University Ranking.

Eligibility Higher Educational Institutions / Universities ranked in the top 200 in NIRF
(for overall rankings and having NAAC ‘A’ grade (3.0 and above) and scientific
Institutions) institutes.

Funding Fellowship would include a fellowship grant (INR 4,00,000 per month),
international and domestic travel, accommodation and contingencies.

Features 1. Under this, 75 VAIBHAV fellowships would be awarded to outstanding

scientists/technologists of Indian origin (NRI/OCI/PIO) who are engaged in
research activities in their respective countries.
2. The selected fellows would be invited to work in 18 identified knowledge
verticals including quantum technology, health, pharma, electronics,
agriculture, energy, computer sciences, and material sciences amongst
others.
3. The VAIBHAV Fellow would identify an Indian Institution for collaboration
and may spend up to two months in a year for a maximum of 3 years.

About first batch of Fellows of the Vaibhav scheme

1) Recently DST has announced the first batch of 22 scientists under Vaibhav scheme.

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2) They will spend a month or two each year, up to a maximum of three years, at Indian
institutes including the Indian Institute of Science, IITs, Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research etc.

3) The host institutions will receive a research grant to host the fellows, who are expected to
initiate a project or technology start-up within three years.

Note– Two ‘distinguished fellowships‘ were extended to senior professors Arogyaswami

Paulraj from Stanford University and Jitendra Malik from the University of California,
Berkeley.

UPSC Syllabus- Schemes & Programmes

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