Parliament Panel Flags Low Spend, Delays in Science Sectors
38.7% Spend Triggers Panel Warning on Science Funds
Low Utilisation, Delays Flagged in 4 Science Departments
New Delhi: A Parliamentary Standing Committee has flagged extremely low spending—only 38.7% of Revised Estimates for a key Department of Scientific and Industrial Research head by January 2026—raising concerns about implementation gaps and possible lack of demand issues. A simultaneous review of three other departments has pointed to a broader pattern of overestimation, delayed execution and persistent underutilisation of public funds across India’s scientific establishment.
Across both the Department of Space and the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Committee expressed concern over the undervaluation of publicly funded technologies during transfer to private entities, recommending market-aligned pricing frameworks, clear valuation guidelines, joint determination of fees with the National Research Development Corporation, and mandatory third-party audits.
The Committee’s observations across departments point to systemic challenges in financial planning, execution capacity, institutional readiness and technology commercialisation. It emphasised the need for realistic budgeting, stronger monitoring, timely implementation, enhanced human resource capacity and improved governance frameworks to ensure that investments in science and technology yield intended outcomes within defined timelines.
These findings are contained in the 408th, 409th, 410th and 411th Reports of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, chaired by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Shri Bhubaneswar Kalita, which were presented in both Houses of Parliament on March 25, 2026, after adoption on March 24.
The 408th Report on the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research identifies the sharpest instance of underutilisation under the Budget Head “Assistance to Public Sector Enterprises,” where expenditure stood at just 38.7% of the Revised Estimates as of January 2026. The Committee observed that such low utilisation indicates either serious implementation bottlenecks or a lack of demand for the scheme, and recommended a comprehensive review to identify constraints, with the option of reallocating funds or revising allocations downward if viability concerns persist.
Under the Industrial Research and Development head, utilisation reached 71.11%, which the Committee found below expectations. It recommended strengthening monitoring systems and expediting project approvals to improve utilisation. The Committee further observed that Budget Estimates for 2026–27 in several heads appear optimistic relative to projected actuals, citing establishment expenditure projections exceeding current-year trends, and advised that future allocations be based on realistic assessments derived from expenditure patterns in the first ten months of the financial year.
A structural concern was raised regarding the disproportionately low share of funds allocated to actual research compared to expenditure on salaries, pensions and administrative costs. The Committee noted that this ratio is significantly lower than that of globally reputed research and development organisations and recommended the preparation of a comprehensive five-year roadmap with measurable outcomes to rebalance spending towards core research.
The report highlighted the turnaround of Central Electronics Limited from a loss-making entity into a growth-oriented public sector undertaking operating in strategic sectors. At the same time, it noted that an allocation of ₹3.03 crore is insufficient for a company in a critical growth phase and recommended that it prepare a comprehensive strategic roadmap and seek enhanced financial support. The Committee also endorsed the company’s move towards listing in capital markets to improve transparency, visibility and access to funding.
To strengthen technology commercialisation, the Committee recommended that Central Electronics Limited establish a structured collaborative framework with the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani, including exploring a formal agreement granting a right of first refusal for technologies developed by the institute. This, it noted, would create a streamlined pipeline from publicly funded research to market deployment.
The Committee further encouraged expansion into avionics, recommending identification of import-dependent products and development of indigenous capabilities. It also highlighted opportunities in the railway sector, suggesting collaboration with the Research Designs and Standards Organisation and the Railway Board under the Rail Tech policy to develop technologies such as artificial intelligence-based elephant intrusion detection systems, fire detection systems, drone-based track monitoring, advanced stress monitoring, solar integration in coaches, obstruction detection in low visibility conditions, and enhancements to the Kavach train collision avoidance system.
The Committee also pointed to rising global prices of memory and storage chips due to market concentration and recommended that Central Electronics Limited develop capabilities in consumer electronics manufacturing to reduce import dependence and strengthen the domestic electronics ecosystem.
In its examination of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Committee supported a proposal for an additional ₹600 crore allocation under the National Laboratories Scheme, noting that the demand is linked to strategic national priorities, including defence technologies, energy independence, healthcare resilience, and translational research. It recommended prioritising funding to avoid disruption of mission-critical projects and emphasised the need to modernise ageing infrastructure, including high-end laboratories, pilot plants and testing facilities, to maintain global competitiveness in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum materials and advanced batteries.
The Committee also recommended strengthening institutional collaboration through formal mechanisms such as Memoranda of Understanding, joint steering committees and coordinated research calls between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Department of Biotechnology. It further called for a structured collaboration between CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, positioning the institute as a primary technical arm for environmental policy support while ensuring its independence and interdisciplinary capacity.
A comprehensive environmental governance architecture was outlined, including the creation of a National Environmental Data Repository integrating datasets on air, water, waste and emissions; expansion of CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute’s regional centres using a hub-and-spoke model; prioritisation of expansion in ecologically sensitive, industrial and climate-vulnerable regions; delegation of financial powers to regional centres; and positioning the institute as a scientific interface for Global South cooperation.
The Committee also recommended inclusion of CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute experts in official delegations to international environmental forums and development of frameworks for leveraging its expertise in global partnerships.
Technology transfer mechanisms were examined in detail, with the Committee recommending a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure incorporating flexible licensing frameworks with milestone-based payments, strategic decisions on exclusive versus non-exclusive licensing, and mechanisms for higher valuation of technologies. It further suggested the establishment of a dedicated Technology Marketing and Commercialisation Wing with its own budget to provide market intelligence, facilitate industry partnerships, and proactively promote technologies through global outreach.
The Committee also supported the exploration of a Section 8 company model to enable equity participation in technology commercialisation, recommending a structured policy framework covering equity stakes, exit strategies and conflict-of-interest safeguards to maximise long-term returns from publicly funded innovations.
A major concern was the scale of vacancies across institutions. Nearly one-third of positions in the Department and more than half of scientific and technical posts in CSIR remain vacant. Several laboratories—including Central Building Research Institute Roorkee, Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research Dhanbad, Fourth Paradigm Institute Bangalore, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology New Delhi, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research Lucknow, National Botanical Research Institute Lucknow, National Chemical Laboratory Pune, and National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research New Delhi—have vacancy levels exceeding 60%. Even the lowest vacancy rate among laboratories remains above 25%. Director-level positions and senior scientific grades such as Outstanding Scientist H and Distinguished Scientist also show significant gaps.
The Committee recommended an urgent, time-bound recruitment drive, prioritisation of severely affected laboratories, implementation of the new CSIR Recruitment and Assessment Promotion Rules 2025, and institutionalisation of biannual recruitment cycles to prevent recurrence of such shortages.
The 409th Report on the Department of Science and Technology reflects similar concerns. Overall utilisation stood at 59.95% of Revised Estimates for 2025–26. A major reduction in allocation—from ₹20,000 crore at Budget Estimates to ₹3,000 crore at Revised Estimates—was observed under the Research, Development and Innovation scheme, with zero expenditure recorded as of January 31, 2026. The Committee recommended that administrative frameworks and guidelines for new schemes be finalised before budget allocation to avoid such drastic reductions.
The Committee also noted a marginal decline in the overall Budget Estimate for 2026–27, breaking the upward trend of previous years, and emphasised the need to sustain support for strategic areas such as quantum technologies. It recommended maintenance of existing supercomputing infrastructure and development of a roadmap for exascale computing under the National Supercomputing Mission.
For the Research, Development and Innovation Fund, the Committee recommended diversification of Second Level Fund Managers to include private sector and venture capital entities, establishment of quarterly monitoring mechanisms, and adoption of commercialisation-based metrics focusing on Technology Readiness Levels of four and above, particularly in sectors such as semiconductors and green energy.
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation was noted to have utilised 61.13% of its allocation, prompting recommendations for improved utilisation and expansion of its hub-and-spoke Partnership for Accelerated Innovation and Research model to include institutions from aspirational districts. The Committee also supported its proposed listing on the Social Stock Exchange to enable diversified funding from corporate social responsibility contributions and the Indian diaspora.
The Vigyan Dhara scheme showed utilisation of 83.54%, with recommendations to strengthen collaboration between academia, government and industry. Transparency concerns were raised regarding the SEED scheme, including incomplete public disclosure of sanctioned projects and lack of communication with unsuccessful applicants.
Under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems, the Committee recommended transitioning from model development to ecosystem creation, including deployment of BharatGen multilingual artificial intelligence models across government departments and startups. It also suggested performance-based upgrading of Technology Innovation Hubs into Technology Translational Research Parks.
The Committee’s review of autonomous institutions included recommendations for procurement of indigenous medical devices such as the Titanium Chitra Heart Valve in government hospitals, scaling of genomic data systems, adaptation of advanced materials technologies for industrial use, expansion of green hydrogen systems, deployment of agricultural bio-solutions, strengthening of North East livelihood programmes including banana fibre and pottery initiatives, development of innovation hubs, and integration of space situational awareness capabilities into national frameworks.
The 411th Report on the Ministry of Earth Sciences reflects similar structural issues. Against a projected outlay of ₹4371.54 crore for 2026–27, only ₹3789.23 crore was approved. The Committee linked this reduction to persistent underutilisation, noting that only ₹2826.83 crore had been spent by January 2026 in the current year. Utilisation trends ranging between 83% and 93% over recent years were identified as indicative of limited absorption capacity, particularly in capital expenditure, due to procurement delays, site finalisation issues and technical constraints.
The Committee recommended strengthening planning, project management and financial monitoring, instituting periodic expenditure reviews, and addressing procedural bottlenecks proactively. Under the PRITHVI scheme, it supported the expansion of desalination technologies while recommending a transition from diesel-based systems to renewable energy sources such as solar and ocean thermal energy.
In the Maitri-II Antarctic station project, the Committee noted the selection of foreign design firms and suggested greater participation of Indian companies to promote domestic capability in polar infrastructure. The Deep Ocean Mission was flagged for slow progress, with only about 35% of its ₹4,077 crore outlay utilised. The Committee recommended clearly defined milestones, timelines and monitoring mechanisms to accelerate implementation.
Mission Mausam was reviewed in the context of increasing extreme weather events, with recommendations for development of cloudburst forecasting systems, deployment of specialised observation networks, expansion of Doppler Weather Radar coverage through installation of 84 additional systems at an estimated cost of ₹942.57 crore, and prioritisation of floating radar systems over oceans. It also recommended coordination with the Central Water Commission and Survey of India to develop river flow models for improved flood forecasting.
Institutional assessments highlighted staffing shortages, including the absence of a dedicated cadre at the National Centre for Seismology, gaps in Doppler radar coverage under the India Meteorological Department, the need for improved user interface and outreach for the Mausam mobile application, and the importance of integrating research outputs from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology with policy bodies such as the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Commission for Air Quality Management.
The Committee also recommended strengthening high-resolution modelling capabilities at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, expanding coastal observation networks under the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services including the Wave Monitoring Along Near shore system and establishment of regional shore stations, expediting acquisition of a new Fishery and Oceanographic Research Vessel to replace the ageing Sagar Sampada, and advancing the Polar Research Vessel project with participation of Indian shipbuilding firms.
At the National Institute of Ocean Technology, concerns were raised regarding low revenue from technology transfers—₹1.64 crore between 2020 and 2026—compared to their commercial potential. The Committee recommended adoption of market-aligned pricing, clear valuation frameworks in collaboration with the National Research Development Corporation, and mandatory third-party audits of licensing agreements.
Taken together, the four reports present a comprehensive, department-wise assessment pointing to recurring gaps in budget estimation, delays in execution, underutilisation of funds, institutional capacity constraints and challenges in translating research into commercial and societal outcomes. At the same time, they outline a consistent set of corrective measures centred on realistic financial planning, strengthened governance, improved monitoring, enhanced human resources and more effective technology commercialisation frameworks to ensure that public investment in science and technology delivers measurable and timely outcomes.
– global bihari bureau
