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Difficulty: HardNational Events, Acts, and Governance Initiatives

With reference to the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act, 2023, a major statutory initiative aimed at shaping India's R&D ecosystem, consider the following statements:

1. It repeals the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008, thereby subsuming the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) into the foundation.
2. The Prime Minister of India serves as the ex-officio President of the Governing Board of the Foundation.
3. The Foundation is administratively anchored under the Union Ministry of Education.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 onlyAnswer
  2. B
    2 and 3 only
  3. C
    1 and 3 only
  4. D
    1, 2 and 3

Answer

Statements 1 and 2 are correct, whereas statement 3 is incorrect because the ANRF administratively functions under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology. Thus, the option containing '1 and 2 only' is the correct answer.
The option stating '1 and 2 only' is correct because Section 29 of the ANRF Act, 2023 repeals the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008, subsuming SERB. Furthermore, the Governing Board is chaired by the Prime Minister as ex-officio President. Statement 3 is wrong because the foundation operates under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate Statement 1 regarding the repeal of SERB.
Statement 1 is CORRECT. Section 29 of the ANRF Act, 2023 explicitly repeals the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008, subsuming SERB into ANRF.
ANRF expands the mandate of SERB to provide high-level strategic direction for scientific research across universities and colleges.
2
Evaluate Statement 2 regarding the Presidency of the Governing Board.
Statement 2 is CORRECT. The Prime Minister is the ex-officio President, while the Union Ministers of Science & Technology and Education serve as ex-officio Vice-Presidents.
Having the Prime Minister at the apex provides cross-ministerial alignment and national priority setting for research funding.
3
Evaluate Statement 3 regarding the Nodal Administrative Ministry.
Statement 3 is INCORRECT. The ANRF is administratively attached to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) within the Ministry of Science and Technology, not the Ministry of Education.
Although the Union Minister of Education is an ex-officio Vice-President, administrative oversight and secretariat support rest with DST.

Key Concept

Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Governance Structure and Statutory Provisions
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Topics

National Events, Acts, and Governance Initiatives

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