Portfolio · Ministry of Science and Technology
Dr. Jitendra Singh holds the Ministry of Science and Technology as Minister of State (Independent Charge). This page sets out what the portfolio covers, the national programmes run through it, and what he has said about them in public, with each kind of item labelled separately.
How to read this page
What the Union Cabinet or a ministry approved, with the approval date and outlay stated in the official release.
What the responsible department or institution reports it has done.
What Dr. Jitendra Singh said in public, attributed to the date and occasion.
A result given in an official source, attributed to that source. It is not presented as a personal achievement.
01 · The portfolio
The Ministry of Science and Technology is made up of three departments. Each has its own secretary, budget and network of autonomous institutions. Being Minister of State (Independent Charge) means holding ministerial responsibility for the ministry without a Cabinet Minister above him in it.
Department I
DST funds research and builds scientific capacity. It is the administrative department for the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, and nodal department for the National Quantum Mission, the Research Development and Innovation Scheme and the National Geospatial Policy. The Technology Development Board and the Survey of India come under it.
dst.gov.inDepartment II
DBT runs biotechnology research, the BioE3 policy for biomanufacturing, and support for biotech startups through the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
dbtindia.gov.inDepartment III
DSIR is the administrative department for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and its network of national laboratories. The Minister's documented CSIR engagements include foundation days and laboratory reviews.
csir.res.inA note on attribution. National scientific programmes are approved by the Union Cabinet and carried out by departments, institutions, scientists and, more and more, private companies. On this site a programme appears under this portfolio because the Ministry administers it. That does not mean any one person created it or produced its results.
02 · Programme register
Approval dates and outlays are as stated in Press Information Bureau (PIB) releases. Two programmes predate his current tenure at this Ministry, which began in July 2021. They are included because the Ministry administers them now.
| Programme | Approved | Outlay (as stated) | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Quantum Mission Quantum computing, communication, sensing and materials. Four thematic hubs. | 19 Apr 2023 | ₹6,003.65 cr 2023-24 to 2030-31 | Policy | PIB 1917888 |
| Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Statutory research funding body. The Prime Minister is ex-officio President of its Governing Board. | Bill: 28 Jun 2023 In force: 5 Feb 2024 | ₹50,000 cr (est.) 2023–28 | Policy | PIB 1935895 · PIB 2083198 |
| Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Scheme Long-term low- or nil-interest financing and equity for private-sector R&D, through a Special Purpose Fund within ANRF. | 1 Jul 2025 | ₹1 lakh cr corpus | Policy | PIB 2141130 |
| BioE3 Policy Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment: biomanufacturing, Bio-AI hubs and biofoundries. | 24 Aug 2024 | Not stated in release | Policy | PIB 2048569 |
| Vigyan Dhara Three DST umbrella schemes merged: capacity building, R&D, and innovation and deployment. | 24 Aug 2024 | ₹10,579.84 cr 2021-22 to 2025-26 | Policy | PIB 2048574 |
| National Geospatial Policy 2022 Liberalised access to geospatial data. Long-term vision to 2035. Detailed page. | Notified 28 Dec 2022 | — | Policy | PIB 2106569 |
| National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems Approved before Dr. Singh's tenure at this Ministry. | 6 Dec 2018 | ₹3,660 cr five years | Earlier programme | PIB 1554936 |
| National Supercomputing Mission Implemented jointly by MeitY and DST through C-DAC and IISc. Launched before this tenure. | Apr 2015 | ₹4,500 cr | Earlier programme | PIB 2201437 |
03 · Focus
On 19 April 2023 the Union Cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission, to run from 2023-24 to 2030-31. It set these targets:
The work is organised into four thematic hubs: computing, communication, sensing and metrology, and materials and devices.
PIB, Cabinet approval, 19 Apr 2023 · PRID 1917888A PIB release on a DST review in April 2026 reports that the Minister was told a 1,000-km quantum communication network had been demonstrated. The technology came from QNu Labs, a startup supported under the Mission. The same release says Mission support now extends to 17 startups. The release is internally inconsistent about how long after launch this happened, so this page gives no duration.
PIB, 8 Apr 2026 · PRID 2250162Speaking at the foundation ceremony in Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Jitendra Singh said:
“this is not merely the foundation stone of a building, but the foundation stone of India's quantum future.”PIB, 8 Feb 2026 · PRID 2225097
The Union Cabinet approved the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill on 28 June 2023, at an estimated cost of ₹50,000 crore over five years (2023–28). Under the law:
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on 7 August 2023 and the Rajya Sabha by voice vote on 9 August 2023. It became Act No. 25 of 2023, and its provisions came into force on 5 February 2024.
Dr. Jitendra Singh piloted the Bill in Parliament. Replying in the Rajya Sabha on 9 August 2023, he said:
This is a Bill which is going to have a long-term effect, long term outcomes… To that extent, this is possibly history in making.
On 1 July 2025 the Union Cabinet approved the RDI Scheme, with a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore, to fund private-sector research and development through long-term loans at low or nil interest and through equity, especially for startups. It has two tiers: a Special Purpose Fund sits within ANRF and allocates money to second-level fund managers. The ANRF Governing Board gives overall strategic direction, and DST is the nodal department.
Implementation so far, as reported:
The Union Cabinet approved the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy on 24 August 2024. It supports high-performance biomanufacturing through Biomanufacturing and Bio-AI hubs and biofoundries. Its thematic sectors include bio-based chemicals, biopolymers and enzymes, and smart proteins.
At BIRAC's 14th Foundation Day on 19 March 2026 the India Bioeconomy Report 2026 was released. Dr. Jitendra Singh cited it for these figures:
These are the Minister's figures, taken from the report. In an earlier speech on 13 February 2026 he gave the 2014 baseline as about US$8 billion.
On 3 September 2026 he launched BIO-NIVESH and held a startup–investor roundtable, where he said “innovation is incomplete without investment, while investment will not sustain itself without innovation.”
PIB 2048569 · PIB 2242405 · PIB 2227506 · PIB 2306405
According to a parliamentary reply of 23 July 2025, DST's gender-focused programmes include:
Vigyan Dhara, approved in August 2024, also includes measures aimed at gender parity in science, technology and innovation.
The theme of National Science Day on 27 February 2026 was “Women in Science: Catalyzing Viksit Bharat”. At the INSA Auditorium, New Delhi, an ANRF–Venture Centre outreach initiative and a Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster were launched. At the launch of the Bharat Forecast System on 26 May 2025, whose development was led by four women scientists, Dr. Singh said: “Science Ministries no longer empower women — we are being empowered by them.”
PIB 2147237 · PIB 2048574 · PIB 2233586 · PIB 2131392Many of the Minister's recent statements on science and technology come back to one theme: moving laboratory research more quickly into industry and the market.
04 · Indicators
Each figure is attributed to the source that published it and dated. Where the Minister's figures differ from those in formal government documents, the formal source is given first.
Government releases use different Global Innovation Index baselines. On 23 September 2025 the Minister described India's rise as “from 81st position in 2015 to 39th in 2025”, and on 11 May 2026 as from 80th to 38th. This page uses the Economic Survey figure.
05 · Continue
Each area below has its own page, with the same labels and source notes.
Incubation, the RDI Scheme, biotech startups and technology transfer.
Open page BMapping & dataThe 2021 guidelines, the National Geospatial Policy 2022 and the Survey of India.
Open page CPublic applicationsDocumented uses of research in health, agriculture, weather and disasters.
Open page DMultilateralThe 14th BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting in Chennai and bilateral meetings.
Open page EIndependent chargeWeather, climate, oceans and polar research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Open page FArchiveAddresses on science and technology, which can be filtered by topic.
Open archive