New Delhi, 12-03-2024 : Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, inaugurated the “Common Fellowship Portal” today at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. This portal serves as a unified platform connecting applicants with various fellowship schemes offered by the Department of Biotechnology, streamlining the application process and providing convenience to aspiring students and startups.
During the launch event, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Ease of Doing Science” to inspire scientific innovation across the nation. He highlighted the portal’s role in simplifying and expediting the application process for fellowship schemes, enabling applicants to create profiles and autofill application forms. This centralized portal aims to reduce time and effort for applicants by providing comprehensive information and facilitating application submission with a single click.
Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored the government’s holistic approach to science and technology initiatives, exemplified by the creation of a centralized portal for all research applications. He announced plans to onboard application forms from other departments such as ICMR, UGC, and AICTE, in addition to existing collaborations with Departments under the Ministry of Science & Technology (DST, DBT, CSIR).
The minister highlighted the unique feature of the portal, the “Eligibility Calculator,” which enables applicants to assess their eligibility for various fellowship schemes by providing specific details and acts as a valuable data repository.
Dr. Jitendra Singh reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to providing equal opportunities to students and scholars from all corners of India, with a focus on bridging academia and industry to prevent brain drain.
During the ceremony, Dr. Singh commended the Department of Biotechnology and Dr. Rajesh Gokhale for their efforts in developing the Common Fellowship Portal, which benefits PhD and postdoctoral students across the country. He emphasized the importance of setting technological benchmarks and leading by example for other departments.
Acknowledging the significant coordination and effort involved in gathering and mapping information from various departments, Dr. Singh praised the Working Group comprising HRD divisions of DBT, CSIR, and INSPIRE, along with KIRAN Divisions of the DST, for successfully designing and onboarding application forms for various ministry schemes.
The launch ceremony was attended by Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science & Technology, Dr. Sanjay Mishra, Senior Advisor, Dr. Pragya Palliwal Gaur, Director General of Press Information Bureau, and Ms. Namita Gupta, Head of INSPIRE.