Govt unveils PAIR program to strengthen research capabilities in Indian universities

The Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) program was introduced by the government on Nov 14 with the goal of enhancing research capabilities in higher education institutions (HEIs) across India that have insufficient research capacity by encouraging partnerships with leading universities.

This initiative follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presiding over the Anusandhan National Research Foundation's (ANRF) first governing board meeting in September this year, where the program’s implementation was discussed.

To bridge the gap between institutions and support a robust research ecosystem in India, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said that these hubs will mentor emerging institutions (spokes) in their research efforts, provide access to resources, and leverage knowledge.

Each PAIR network will consist of one hub and up to seven spoke institutions. A hub university can submit only one proposal, and multi-departmental faculty teams from spoke universities must participate.

Institutions of National Importance (INIs) in the top 50 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) overall rankings, and those in the top 25, will be considered hub institutions in the first phase.

“The program will operate through a mentorship-driven hub-and-spoke framework to facilitate systematic research growth across institutions,” said the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in an official statement.

Central and state public universities, as well as several National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), will be among the spoke institutions.

“Eligibility conditions will be expanded to include other universities and institutions in subsequent phases,” the DST added.

PAIR aims to serve as a catalyst for transformative research at universities with potential, with established institutions providing the necessary mentorship to elevate overall research standards, according to Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the DST and CEO of ANRF.

“In its first phase, ANRF will target select universities and institutions, and in subsequent rounds, the scope will be expanded. The goal is to improve the research ecosystem in our universities,” he added.