Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS) for OBC and Others (GS Paper 2, Education)
Why in news?
- The scheme Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme- SHREYAS, has been proposed to implement during the 2021-22 to 2025-26 by placing two ongoing Central Sector schemes for OBC and others namely
- National Fellowship for OBC
- Dr.Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs).
Objectives:
- The main objective of the schemes is Educational Empowerment of OBC & EBC students by way of awarding fellowship (financial assistance) in obtaining quality higher education and interest subsidy on educational loan for overseas studies.
National Fellowship for OBC students
- The scheme aims at providing financial assistance to the OBC students in obtaining quality higher education leading to degrees such as M.Phil and Ph.D in universities, research institutions and scientific institutions.
- The scheme is designed to provide a total number of 1000 Junior Research Fellowships per year to undertake advanced studies and research leading to M.Phil. /Ph.D. Degrees, who have qualified in the following tests:
- National Eligibility Test – Junior Research Fellowship (NET-JRF) of UGC (for Humanities/Social Sciences) or
- UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (UGC-CSIR) NET-JRF Joint Test (for Sciences).
- The scheme covers all universities/institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and are implemented by the UGC itself on the pattern of the scheme of UGC Fellowships being awarded to research students pursuing M.Phil. and Ph.D.
Salient features of the Scheme:
- The scheme is now implemented by the Ministry through the designated Central Nodal Agency; National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (A Govt. of India Undertaking, under the administrative control of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and All universities/institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
- Eligibility conditions are as per notification for UGC-NET and CSIR-UGC-NET examinations. The rate of fellowship for JRF level is Rs.31000 per month and for SRF level it is Rs.35000 per month, besides contingencies amount.
- Out of 1000 slots available under this scheme, 750 will be allocated for the subjects under National Eligibility Test – Junior Research Fellowship (NET-JRF) of UGC and remaining 250 UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (UGC-CSIR) NETJRF joint test (for Science streams).
- These 1000 slots will be over and above the OBC Students selected under the normal reservation policy of the Government. At least 5% of the total seats should be reserved for students with disabilities while making selection of candidates for award of fellowships by the UGC.
Dr. Ambedkar Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) & Economically Backward Classes (EBCs)
- This is a Central Sector Scheme to provide interest subsidy to the student belonging to the OBCs and EBCs on the interest payable for the period of moratorium for the Education Loans for overseas studies to pursue approved courses of studies abroad at Masters, M.Phil. and Ph.D. level.
Salient features of the Scheme:
- The scheme is implemented through the Canara Bank (the Nodal bank for the scheme). The Scheme is applicable for higher studies abroad.
- The interest Subsidy shall be linked with the existing Educational Loan Scheme of Indian Banks Association (IBA) and restricted to students enrolled for course at Masters, M.Phil and Ph.D level.
- The students should have secured admission in the approved courses at Masters, M.Phil or Ph.D levels abroad for the courses listed in the guidelines.
- For OBC candidates, total income from all sources of the employed candidate or his/her parents/guardians in case of unemployed candidate shall not exceed present Creamy Layer criteria.
- For EBC candidates, total income from all sources of the employed candidate or his/her parents/guardians in case of unemployed candidate shall not exceed Rs.5.00 lakh per annum , 50% of the total financial assistance is reserved for women candidates.
- Under the scheme, 100% interest payable by the students availing the education loans of the IBA for the period of moratorium (i.e. course period, plus one year or six months after getting job, whichever is earlier) as prescribed under the Education Loan Scheme of the IBA, shall be borne by the Government of India.
- After the period of moratorium is over, the interest on the outstanding loan amount shall be paid by the student, in accordance with the existing Educational Loan Scheme as may be amended from time to time.
- The candidate will bear the Principal installments and interest beyond moratorium period. Maximum limit of loan is Rs 20 Lakhs.
Australia’s offer of climate migration to Tuvalu residents
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Context:
- Australia’s recent Pacific Engagement Visa enabled up to 3,000 workers and their families from the Pacific and Timor-Leste to migrate permanently to Australia each year.
- In addition, the announcement of an Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty is groundbreaking.
- Under this deal, Australia will provide migration pathways for people from Tuvalu facing the existential threat of climate change. It is the world’s first bilateral agreement on climate mobility.
How the new visa program will work?
- Based on the principles of “neighbourliness, care and mutual respect”, the treaty is a result of a request by Tuvalu for Australia to support and assist its efforts on climate change, security and human mobility.
- Under the treaty, Australia will implement a special visa arrangement to allow Tuvaluans to work, study and live in Australia.
- This is not a refugee visa, but rather will allow up to 280 Tuvaluans (from a population of around 11,200) to migrate to Australia each year, presumably on a permanent basis.
- They will be able to access Australian education, healthcare and income and family support on arrival. This is a welcome development that will provide people with both legal and psychological security.
How novel is the new treaty?
- While there are other programs in the Pacific that facilitate mobility, this is the first to do so specifically in the context of climate change. It also operates differently from arrangements implemented by New Zealand and the United States.
- As part of the “realm” of New Zealand, for instance, people from the countries of Niue, Tokelau and Cook Islands are considered New Zealand citizens, so they have the right to move there if they wish.
- New Zealand has also long had its “Pacific Access” visa category and the Samoa quota resident visa, which together enable around 2,400 people to move from the Pacific to New Zealand on a permanent basis each year.
- The United States has compacts of free association with the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, which enable eligible citizens to enter the US visa-free and live and work there indefinitely. However, those migrants do not have access to many government benefits and can easily fall through the cracks.
- In 2022, Argentina announced a special humanitarian visa program for people displaced from 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean due to disasters.
- Unlike the Australia–Tuvalu treaty, which allows for migration in anticipation of climate-related disasters, access to the Argentinian program is only available after displacement has occurred. As yet, no one has used the scheme.
What’s next?
- Earlier, Pacific Leaders endorsed a world-first Pacific framework on climate mobility, which has gone relatively unnoticed, despite the Australia–Tuvalu announcement.
- Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa suggested the Pacific could create a European Union-like entity, “based on cooperation and integration”, that would enable free movement across the region.
- If enacted, it would follow a similar agreement signed by leaders in eastern Africa that specifically allows people in that region to cross borders in anticipation of or in response to disasters.
- Though this is still a long way off in the Pacific, the agreement between Australia and Tuvalu could help pave the way for similar mobility pathways across the region and a broader regional scheme.
‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ awards
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research announced the winners of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) awards for 2022.
- The announcement was highly anticipated not only due to the nearly year-long delay in declaring the results, but also because it came amid the government’s plans for a major revamp of the structure of science and medicine awards.
- In September 2022, the Ministry of Science and Technology discontinued nearly 300 existing science awards with the exception of the SSB awards.
Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar:
- The new system, called the ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ (RVP), includes a bouquet of awards: Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, Vigyan Team, and Vigyan Ratna. The government has expressed an intention to keep the RVP at par with the Padma and other national awards.
- The new awards will be open to an expanded group of “scientists, technologists and innovators (or teams) working in government, private sector organisations or individuals working outside any organisation”.
- The RVP will be given across 13 scientific domains, including basic sciences, applied sciences, medicine, and engineering.
- The award announcement stated that “representation from each domain/field, including gender parity will be ensured”.
- The RVP awards will invite nominations for some time, and be evaluated by a RVP Committee comprising “the Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India andSecretaries of Science Departments, members of Science and Engineering Academies.
Advantages of proposed RVP structure:
- The new awards are open to innovators and technologists, including those in industry, and with diverse, non-regular affiliations.
- The new awards will also have expanded eligibility criteria, including technology-led innovations or products, in addition to discovery-based research.
- The RVP also includes a set of team awards (Vigyan Team), to acknowledge the increasingly collaborative, cross-disciplinary, translational and intersectional nature of scientific research.
- With the exception of the Vigyan Yuva-SSB award,for scientists up to the age of 45 years, the other RVP awards don’t have an age limit, while explicitly committing to ensure equitable gender representation.
- The RVP awards will also be open to Persons of Indian Origin abroad, which is relevant given India’s large and accomplished scientific, engineering, and technology diaspora, and the increasingly global footprint of modern science.
- Finally, the new award system has eliminated cash prizes, and will instead include certificates and medals.
Intent and processes
- To ensure that the RVP system recognises only truly “notable and inspiring contributions”, the awards’ descriptions must include a statement that the contributions are over and above the standard job description of a scientist/technologist, not merely incremental work or work integral to their appointment.
- Since the awards are national recognitions for exemplary work, dedicated citations for teaching, mentoring, science communication, public engagement and outreach, and leadership and administration are conspicuous by absence.
- The age limit of 45 years for the Vigyan Yuva-SSB for young scientists is a serious challenge to the new system’s own commitment to ensure gender parity.
A potential blueprint:
- When the RVP award process is implemented, the selection process must adhere to the predetermined timelines, provide a public list of shortlisted applicants, and include gender-balanced and diverse selection committees, international jury members, and a non-partisan jury member –a non-scientist, preferably to make sure the selection is fair.
- The new award system must pledge to consciously seek to ensure, in addition to gender parity, the proper socioeconomic and demographic representation among awardees, and account for contributions made in the face of serious systemic social challenges and/or constraints and considerations related to the workplace.
- In any case, continuously evaluating the impact of the new award system on subsequent scientific work, the growth of topics and fields, the effects of role models on diversity and inclusivity in science in India, and scientific temper of the country at large will be useful.
Way Forward:
- With these aspects in place, this is an opportunity for the RVP awards to become a blueprint for an expansive, inclusive, and transparent award system that can be adopted by scientific ecosystems in other countries as well.
