Q1 : Who can submit new proposal?
Ans: Research proposals of applied nature as well as basic research can be submitted by the Universities, IITs, recognized R&D laboratories, Water Resources/Irrigation departments of the Central and State Governments and NGOs.
Q2 : What type of proposals are discouraged?
Ans: Following type of proposals are discouraged :-
- The proposals that merely plan to collect data and apply known existing techniques of analysis.
- The proposal that involves no R&D.
- Proposals where the investigations lack depth, where the methodology is shallow and superficial.
Q3 : What is the subject domain of the INCGW?
Ans: The subject domain of INCGW are –
- Ground Water Recharge
- Ground Water Quality
- Climate Change
- Ground water- Surface Water Interaction
- Mathematical/simulation modelling
- Ground water management
- Geophysical Investigation
- GIS & Remote Sensing
Q4 : At what time new proposals can be submitted?
Ans: Proposals can be submitted at any time of the year.
Q5 : What is the procedure for approval?
Ans: Proposal is initially examined at the INC. The proposal is sent to the experts and end user agencies. On receipt of their comments, the PI is conveyed the same and is asked to make a presentation before the committee members in the meeting of INCGW for recommendation. The PI may be asked to modify the proposal on the basis of suggestions of the committee members, experts and end user agencies. The proposals recommended by the INCGW are sent to the R&D Division of the Ministry for final acceptance and issuance of the sanction orders.
Q6 : Who issues final sanction order?
Ans: R&D Division of Ministry of Water Resources issues final sanction orders and releases the money.
Q7 : What items can be funded?
Ans: Funding is provided for payment of salaries to the research staff (JRF/SRF/RA), purchase of equipment, books and journals, cost of conducting experiment including consumables and for travel.
Q8 : Can PI claim Salary or honorarium under the scheme?
Ans: No, PI cannot claim Salary or honorarium. Salary is paid only to research staff recruited by the PI.
Q9 : How many research staff can be recruited?
Ans: A limited number generally one or two research staff as Junior Research Fellow (JRF), Senior Research Fellow (SRF), Research Associate (RA) and Consultants can be employed for assisting the PI in conducting the research. Retired scientists and engineers can be employed as Consultants. However, MoWR prefers involvement of younger personnel. Highly distinguished scientists and engineers whose involvement is absolutely essential may be engaged as Consultants.
Q10 : What is the eligibility criteria for recruitment of research staff and emoluments for them?
Ans: Research staff is to be recruited as per the DST guidelines and emoluments will also be paid to them as per the current DST guidelines.
Q11 : Which documents are to be annexed with the application?
Ans: Proforma Invoices of the items proposed for procurement under head Infrastructure. List of equipment/facilities available at the institute.
Q12 : Under which head the salary of field assistant or lab assistant etc. who are employees of the institute can be claimed?
Ans: No salary of the lab or field assistant who are employees of the institute can be claimed. However, provision for nominal honorarium to the field or lab assistant etc, can be claimed under Experimental head.
Q13 : Can salary of personnel who is not employee of the institute be claimed?
Ans: Yes, Salary of personnel not engaged directly in research may be claimed under Experimental head provided that such staff is specifically recruited for the research and will be working full time only for the said research.
Q14 : What are the Over head charges?
Ans: When the host institution to which the PI belongs provides any facilities for conducting the research such as infrastructure or staff, then the Overheads upto 20% of the total cost can be charged as Overheads. However, there is an upper limit of Rs.5 lakh for educational institutions and Rs.3 lakh for laboratories and institutes under S&T agencies or departments.
Q15 : When are the Overheads payable to the Institutes?
Ans: Overhead Charges are payable to the host institution only after the completion of the study and acceptance of the final report by the Ministry.
Q16 : What is Contingency?
Ans: Contingency is not a separate head of expenditure. There are only four sub heads for expenditure, namely Salary, Travel, Experimental Charges, Infrastructure. A provision of 5% of the total cost of these can be made under contingency. However, contingency is only budget provision for unforeseen situations; for possible errors in estimation of four main sub heads. No expenditure can be incurred under this head.
Q17 : What is the responsibility of the PI?
Ans: The work is to be completed at the earliest and within the sanctioned duration.
There should be no deviation from the stated objectives.
There should be no deviations in the expenditure under each sub head.
Submission of various periodic returns to INC in time.
Ensuring compliance with the “Conditions of Grant”.
Q18 : Can deviations from the stated objectives be allowed?
Ans: No, objectives cannot be changed once the scheme is sanctioned.
Q19 : Can transfer of funds or deviations from the sanctioned amount allowed?
Ans: Expenditure under each sub head should not exceed the sanctioned amount for each sub head. No transfer of funds from one head to another head is allowed. Expenditure should be booked under each head as per the actuals.
Q20 : What is the starting date of the scheme?
Ans: The starting date for the scheme shall be taken as the date on which the first activity of study is initiated which however shall not be later than three months from the receipt of the Bank Draft by the institute. This date shall be intimated by the PI to the INC.
Q21 : When the progress report is to be submitted to INC?
Ans: Progress report is to be submitted in the months of August and December. Annual Progress report is to be submitted in the month of April alongwith the audited Utilization Certificate for the respective year. Information is to be provided as per the prescribed format only.
Q22 : What is to be done with the unspent balance of a financial year?
Ans: Effort should be made by the PI to utilize the funds released for the financial year with in that year itself. Any unspent balance will be carried over to the next financial year but cannot be utilized by the PI until it is revalidated by the Ministry. Application for revalidation of funds should be submitted to the INC by 30th April of the next financial year.
Q23 : What is the schedule of release of funds?
Ans: Release of subsequent instalments of funds is subject to satisfactory progress of the work. For this progress of milestones achieved and amount to be released after achieving the each milestone along with the time schedule of each milestone should be clearly identified.
Q24 : What is to be done after completion of the work?
Ans: PI should submit the draft report to the INC alongwith the audited Consolidated UC’s and subhead wise Expenditure statement.
Q25 : What is to be done if there is any unspent balance in the scheme after completion of the study?
Ans: The unspent balance is to be refunded by a crossed Demand draft in favour of PAO, MoWR.
