Office of PSA Convenes First ‘State Governments Nodal Officers Meeting’ to Strengthen State-Level Coordination for Wider Access to Scientific and R&D Infrastructure

Key Highlights:

• The Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) convened the first "State Governments Nodal Officers Meeting" for the I-STEM Portal.
• The meeting aimed to strengthen state-level coordination for wider access to scientific and R&D infrastructure.
• The I-STEM Portal, launched in January 2020, currently lists over 31,000 scientific instruments across nearly 4,000 institutions.
• It facilitates the onboarding and effective utilization of publicly funded scientific infrastructure across States.
• Publicly funded equipment costing above ₹20 lakh is mandated to be listed on the I-STEM Portal.

Detailed Insights:

• The meeting, chaired by Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of PSA, was held on September 21, 2026.
• I-STEM Portal strengthens the research and innovation ecosystem by improving utilization and reducing duplication of investments.
• Nodal Officers from 23 States and 4 UTs participated to integrate state-level universities and research institutions with the national platform.
• The initiative aims to ensure India’s investments in scientific infrastructure are discoverable, accessible, and optimally utilized.
• The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative was also highlighted for enabling wider access to scholarly resources.
• Existing similar portals, such as the ANALYTICS portal of CSIR, are being integrated with I-STEM through API linkages.
• Key priorities include strengthening institutional onboarding, expanding access for researchers and MSMEs, and improving equipment utilization.

Key Concepts Involved:

• I-STEM Portal: A national web portal for sharing scientific instruments and R&D facilities across institutions in India.
• Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA): The primary advisory body to the Government of India on matters related to science, technology, and innovation.
• One Nation One Subscription (ONOS): An initiative to provide all researchers in India with access to major scientific journals and databases through a single subscription.