New Delhi: US National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan met with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday to discuss mutual areas of interest and India's plans for STEM studies under the new national education policy. Following the meeting, Pradhan asked the Ministry of Education, led by the AICTE, to prepare a framework for further engagement with the NSF and also consult other relevant ministries in this connection.
"A wealth of talent is available in various institutions across different regions of the country waiting to be nurtured. NSF should therefore look at increasing its engagement with lesser-known and hitherto unrepresented institutions like NITs, central universities and state universities in addition to the premier institutions in the country," he said.
Referring to the education-skill continuum that is being created in accordance with NEP 2020, Pradhan also emphasised the necessity of bringing the skill sector within the ambit of such collaboration by reaching out to institutions like polytechnics, ITIs and community colleges. "It is the top priority and responsibility of our government to ensure that all youngsters, whether in mainstream academics or in formal or informal skill sector, get equal opportunity to quality education and skilling so that they are equipped to face the 21st century challenges," he said.
The NSF is an independent federal agency with the responsibility of promoting scientific discovery, technological innovation and STEM education. With a budget of USD 8.8 billion, NSF is the major source of federal funding in fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences. India's engagements with the NSF include six Technology Innovation Hubs under which eight institutions like the IITs, IISc Bangalore and others are collaborating for 30 projects and some projects on cybersecurity.
"Like India, inclusivity and accessibility of quality education are a priority with the US government too. NSF would reach out for collaboration with unrepresented institutions including those involved in skilling, so that talent in these places can also be nurtured," Panchanathan said. (PTI)
