PM Research Chair: 3,600 apply for fellowship; over 400 for ‘host institution’ status, says govt

Under the Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) scheme, the education ministry has so far received 3,600 applications for fellowships and over 400 applications from host institutions. Seven institutions have been identified as “lead institutions”, the education ministry told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The PM Research Chair scheme’s goal is to draw Indian scientists working in institutions abroad back to India. The government has identified 13 “priority sectors” for them to focus on, including semiconductors, energy sustainability and climate change, artificial intelligence, space and defence.

The scheme was first proposed at an IIT Council meeting in November. The council is the top policy body of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and is chaired by the education minister.

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The scheme was allocated Rs 200 crore in the Union Budget 2026-27 . Over the next five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31, the scheme envisions engaging at least 120 distinguished researchers or scientists and professionals and had planned for very generous grants , both for fellows as well as the research chairs.

PMRC Fellowship: 3,600 applications

“In pursuance with the vision of National Education Policy 2020, the Ministry of Education has launched the PMRC scheme to attract and engage distinguished Indian-origin researchers, scientists and professionals with international research experience, to strengthen India's higher education and research ecosystem through research, mentorship and institutional capacity-building across national priority thematic areas,” the minister of state for education, Sukanta Majumdar told parliament.

The scheme provides for fellowships under the three following categories:

• Research Chair

• Senior Fellow

• Young Research Fellow

The application for the fellowship has been extended to August 15.

With three “pillars” – lead institutions, host institutions and PMRC Fellows – the scheme will be operationalised through India’s leading government institutions, national laboratories, and research institutes which will be identified by an “empowered committee” chaired by the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.

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PMRC Scheme: Lead, host institutions

The committee will pick one lead Institution for each thematic area. Lead institutions will evaluate the “readiness and suitability of prospective host institutions within their respective thematic areas”, says the government reply.

The following categories of institutions will be eligible to serve as “host institutions”.

• Government institutions in the top 100 ranks in the National Institutional Ranking Framework’s “Overall” category

• Government institutions in the top 100 in NIRF for engineering

• Government institution in the top 50 ranks for research

• National laboratories and research institutions under the department of biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) among others.

Host institutions demonstrating strong research, development, and innovation environment, industry-academia linkages, history of commercializing patents, and strong institutional research support will engage PMRC Fellows.