Congress MP Seeks Safeguards for Rs 1 Lakh Crore Deep-Tech Fund

The Story in Brief

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Praveen Chakravarty has sought stronger safeguards for the Centre’s Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund. In a written reply on July 30, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh listed seven investment committee members who had disclosed financial interests in companies selected for funding.

A media report cited by Times Now said 15 of the 22 companies chosen in the first round had investment links with those members and received more than Rs 1,377 crore. Chakravarty said he was not alleging wrongdoing, but questioned whether the process was robust enough. The Department of Science and Technology said selections were based purely on merit and conflicted members took no part in evaluation or approval.

The Indian Opinion

The lazy narrative is that any disclosed link proves corruption. It does not. But the opposite claim, that disclosure alone settles the matter, is also too simple when public funds are involved. Recusal records, evaluation trails and independent audits should be public, while the fund supports genuinely risky research in areas such as semiconductors and quantum technology. The test is whether these records show that no conflicted member influenced any of the 22 decisions.

Source: timesnownews.com

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