New Delhi, 20 May (H.S.):

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has taken a significant step toward promoting multidisciplinary research in the country by selecting 10 leading institutions under its “Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Multidisciplinary Research” programme. Through these centres, solutions will be sought for complex national and regional problems by combining social sciences, humanities, science, and technology.

According to information released by the ANRF on Wednesday, this initiative has been designed in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The main objective of the programme is to bring experts from different disciplines onto a common platform and develop research-based practical solutions so that challenges related to society and the economy can be effectively addressed.

The institutions selected for the CoE programme include the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, National Institute of Technology Agartala, Indian Institute of Management Jammu, Institute for Human Development, Chanakya University, and PSGR Krishnammal College for Women.

Research centres on topics such as climate change, traditional knowledge systems, artificial intelligence, rural livelihoods, language studies, health and psychology, digital humanities, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be established at these institutions.

Experts believe that integrated research in these fields will give a new direction to social and economic development. At the same time, the coordination of technology and social sciences will help develop solutions that can bring a direct change in the lives of ordinary people.

According to the Foundation, a total of 945 proposals were received from across the country for this programme. After detailed evaluation and expert review, 10 institutions were selected. The selected projects also include 20 collaborating institutions, including central universities, state universities, IITs, NITs, private universities, and various research institutions.

The ANRF said that in the present era, modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data analytics are expanding rapidly. In such a time, multidisciplinary research will play an important role in social and economic development, achieving sustainable development goals, and strengthening the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign.

The Foundation added that this initiative will not only strengthen the research culture but also provide fresh momentum to innovation, policy-making, and technological development in the country.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar