The government has allocated Rs 13,389 crore (Rs 133.89 billion) for science and research related activities in the Budget for 2003-04, an increase of just about eight per cent over last year's allocation.

Ministry of non-conventional energy resources has got the maximum jump of 33 per cent from the Budget last year with the current allocation being about Rs 630 crore (Rs 6.3 billion).

The other areas, which have got the major chunk of the enhanced allocation are Department of Science and Technology with a jump of 26 per cent, Department of Biotechnology with about 24 per cent, and Indian System of Medicines and Health, 26 per cent.

The allocation for DST is about Rs 1176 crore (Rs 11.76 billion), DBT, about Rs 273 crore (Rs 2.73 billion) and ISM and H, about Rs 196 crore (Rs 1.96 billion). 

The DST's allocation covers Rs 215 crores (Rs 2.15 billion) for multi-disciplinary research and Rs 150 crores (Rs 1.5 billion) for creation of pharmaceutical research fund.

Reacting to the Budget, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research director general R A Mashelkar said, "Jump for science is not as much as last year when it was about 16 per cent. But we are quite happy."

Interestingly, for defence research, the government has earmarked just Rs 2,734 crore (Rs 27,34 billion) with a meagre increase of one per cent from last year, and Department of Atomic Energy has received a raise of just about four per cent.

PTI