Department of Science and Technology (India)

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is a department within the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of India. It was established in May 1971 to promote new areas of science and technology and to act as the nodal department for organising, coordinating and promoting scientific and technological activity across the country. In practice it funds approved scientific projects and supports Indian researchers who travel abroad for conferences or experimental work. In December 2014 it adopted an open access policy jointly with the Department of Biotechnology, covering publicly funded research. A number of autonomous institutions are organised under it, among them the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru, the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences in Nainital and the Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru. It also runs a programme that recognises non-governmental science organisations, and two attached institutions, the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation and the Survey of India.