Policy Update
Ritu Mishra
Background
The State Science & Technology Programme (SS&TP), initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Government of India in 1971, aims to strengthen science, technology, and innovation (STI) capacity at the state level. Recognizing that states are vital units for decentralized development, the programme seeks to empower them to formulate and implement science and technology (S&T) plans tailored to their regional priorities.
The programme aligns with the national objective of using science, technology, and innovation for inclusive growth, sustainable development, and regional competitiveness. It also complements the Biotechnology Sector Growth Strategy (2021–2025) by fostering state-driven S&T initiatives that address local challenges in agriculture, health, environment, and industry.
Functioning
- Policy & Planning Support: Institutionalized under the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980–85) via formal funding and programmatic support. Helps states establish State Science and Technology Councils (STCs) for policy planning and implementation.
- Funding Mechanism: Evolved to support all Indian States and UT. Provides financial support for state-level S&T projects, infrastructure, and capacity building.
- Sectoral Focus: Promotes applied research in biotechnology, renewable energy, rural innovation, climate resilience, and ICT applications.
- Collaborations: Encourages partnerships between state governments, academic institutions, industries, and grassroots innovators.
- Decentralized Implementation: Each state develops proposals based on local needs and resources, reviewed and supported by DST.
Performance
The State Science & Technology Programme (SS&TP) has seen widespread adoption, with almost all states and Union Territories in India establishing State S&T Councils supported under the initiative. Over the years, these councils have developed a diverse project portfolio, implementing programmes in areas such as biotechnology applications for agriculture, renewable energy deployment through solar and wind projects, waste management solutions, and healthcare innovations tailored to local needs.
The programme has also significantly contributed to capacity building, strengthening institutional networks and creating platforms for science policy formulation, grassroots innovation, and technology dissemination. Importantly, SS&TP has played a key role in policy development, enabling several states to draft and implement their own State Innovation and S&T policies that align with both local priorities and national goals.
However, impact assessments reveal uneven outcomes while technologically advanced states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu have leveraged the programme effectively to drive innovation and socio-economic benefits, resource-constrained states often struggle to secure adequate expertise, infrastructure, and funding, limiting the optimal implementation of projects.
Impact
Role and Contributions of State Science & Technology Programme (SS&TP)
- Regionalization of Science Policy
SS&TP has decentralized science and technology planning by empowering states to frame and implement their own S&T priorities.
This has ensured that local challenges, such as agricultural productivity, water management, renewable energy adoption, and healthcare delivery, are addressed through context-specific solutions.
- Support for State-Specific Biotechnology Initiatives
The programme has enabled states to launch biotechnology applications tailored to their regional needs.
Examples include crop improvement projects for climate-resilient agriculture, food processing technologies for reducing post-harvest losses, and innovations in public health delivery systems.
- Centre–State R&D Alignment
SS&TP has served as a bridge between national-level policies and state-level execution.
It encourages states to align their R&D activities with flagship national initiatives such as:
Atal Innovation Mission (entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem),
Make in India (domestic manufacturing and biotech industrial growth), and
National Biotechnology Development Strategy (NBDS) (expansion of India’s biotech economy).
- Promotion of Grassroots Innovation
The programme has actively promoted community-led innovation at the grassroots level, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
Through state S&T councils, local communities are encouraged to adopt low-cost, need-based technologies, thereby improving livelihoods and sustainability.
- Community-Based Technology Adoption
SS&TP has supported projects that integrate traditional knowledge with modern science.
This includes renewable energy solutions (solar dryers, biomass technologies), rural healthcare innovations, and low-cost biotech tools for farmers and small enterprises.
By focusing on regional and community-specific challenges, SS&TP ensures that the benefits of science and technology are not limited to metropolitan centres but reach underserved areas.
It plays a crucial role in reducing the innovation divide between resource-rich and resource-constrained states.
Emerging Issues
- Capacity Gap: Weak institutional mechanisms in some states hinder effective project implementation, often leading to delays and underutilization of funds. Inadequate human resources and lack of trained professionals further slow down the adoption of innovative projects at the local level.
- Industry Engagement: Limited collaboration between state S&T councils and private sector industries restricts the commercialization of research outcomes. Without strong industry linkages, promising innovations often fail to move beyond pilot stages into scalable, market-ready solutions.
- Resource Imbalance: Developed states attract more projects, partnerships, and talent, thereby widening the innovation gap compared to resource-constrained regions. This uneven distribution of opportunities risks reinforcing regional disparities in technological advancement and economic growth.
- Monitoring & Evaluation: Lack of robust systems for tracking outcomes and measuring long-term impact hampers accountability and learning from past experiences. Inconsistent reporting and absence of independent assessments limit the ability to refine and scale successful models.
Suggestions
- Strengthen capacity-building programmes for weaker states through mentoring by leading S&T councils and under continuous guidance.
- Create a national-state-industry partnership model for better resource mobilization and networking.
- Ensure uniform monitoring frameworks to assess outcomes and share best practices which results in the best outcome of the work.
- Expand focus to emerging areas like artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, synthetic biology, and climate technologies.
Way Forward
The State Science & Technology Programme (SS&TP) is crucial for fostering inclusive and regionally balanced growth in India’s science and technology landscape. To strengthen its impact, the programme must focus on building institutional capacities in weaker states, promoting stronger industry academia government linkages, encouraging state-level participation in frontier technologies, and aligning S&T initiatives with development priorities like agriculture, healthcare, renewable energy, and climate resilience. By decentralizing S&T planning, SS&TP ensures that innovation and biotech-driven progress reach every region, making growth more equitable and sustainable.
References
- State S&T and Innovation Policy Documents
About the Contributor
Ritu Mishra is a Research Intern at IMPRI and Pursuing MSc Botany.
Acknowledgement
The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team and Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for her invaluable guidance throughout the process.
Disclaimer
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organization.
Read more on IMPRI
Digital Payments and UPI: Transformation in Banking Habits
India-UAE CEPA 2022: Unlocking New Horizons for MSME Exports
