PM Research Chair Scheme to Bring Global Indian Scientists

• Government plans 120 research positions for Indian-origin scientists in priority sectors like AI, semiconductors, and clean energy to boost innovation.
• IIT Council to survey 2013–2015 alumni and analyze why graduates pursue PhDs abroad, aiming to strengthen domestic research pathways.
• Council recommends revamping MTech curricula across IITs and making industry internships mandatory to enhance practical skills and career readiness.

The last meeting of the IIT Council indicated that the Government of India is in the process of developing a new scheme called the "Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC)”. The proposal to establish a PMRC will attract highly qualified researchers and scientists of Indian origin around the world to improve and enhance the Indian education and research system.

 According to an Education Ministry representative at the meeting, this initiative aims to enhance the strength and capability of higher education and research in India with the inclusion of talent from all parts of the world.

The proposed initiative will create 120 research positions over five years in three categories: Young Research Fellow (YRF), Senior Research Fellow (SRF) and Research Chair (RC). The initiative will target 14 national priority sectors (i.e., Semiconductor, AI, Clean Energy and Advanced Materials).

Through this initiative, we hope to improve the institutional research capacity and foster innovative knowledge development, while enhancing India’s reputation as a Centre for excellence in science, technology and academia.

The minutes note that the IIT Council was informed of an in-principle agreement on the PMRC scheme, with the understanding that it will be launched soon in a structured and large-scale manner.

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Separately, the Council recommended conducting a comprehensive survey across all 23 IITs covering alumni from the 2013, 2014, and 2015 graduating batches to assess career outcomes and social-economic impact. This follows a pilot survey conducted across six IITs.

 The Council also called for an analysis of why many IIT graduates pursue PhD and postdoctoral programmes abroad, with IIT Bombay tasked with proposing measures to strengthen research pathways and academic retention in India.

The Council also discussed reforms in MTech programmes, noting limited specialisations and lack of internships as key deterrents. It recommended revamping curricula and making industry internships a compulsory component of MTech courses across IITs.