Grant-in-aid status for NIF soon

AHMEDABAD: The city-based National Innovation Foundation (NIF) will soon shift into top gear, with the nod of the central government.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the change of pattern of funding from corpus fund to regular annual budget for NIF. As a result, the foundation will soon be converted to a grant-in-aid institution under the department of science and technology.
The grant that NIF has been allotted during the 11th Five Year Plan is Rs 26.06 crore. Executive vice-chairperson of NIF and senior faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), professor Anil Gupta said, "We are glad that after 10 years finally we have got this grant. Though personally I am not satisfied with the amount sanctioned, this increase in funding will help us serve more innovative people and work with more traditional knowledge".
"With each passing year and the inflation, our resources were shrinking. This allocation will change that paradox. This also shows the positive aproach that the government has towards our cause," he added.
NIF was set up in February 2000. It provides an institutional platform for the knowledge-rich, economically poor people to learn from each other, from formal scientific and other institutions.
In the last nine years, NIF has mobilised more than 1.4 lakh innovations and traditional knowledge practices from over 545 districts in the country. Most of these innovations have the potential to improve the quality of life of ordinary people.
NIF has filed 235 patent applications in India and seven patent applications in US. It has licensed over 50 technologies to small to medium level companies in India and received large number of requests from around the world for various products.
NIF now seeks partnership with public, private and civil society organisations in its mission to give creativity its due at grassroots level.