The IIT-Council in its 50th Meeting held on 23.08.2016 approved and recommended to Government a proposal for awarding (1000) Prime Minister Research Fellows (PMRFs)” annually. Under the proposal, B.Tech students studying in IITs who have secured at-least 8.5 CGPA will be given direct admission into Ph.D. programme with a fellowship of Rs.60,000/- per month for 5 years along with a suitable research grant, which could cover the expenses for attending international conferences etc. This could increase the strength of Ph.D. students in IITs and ultimately help in reducing the shortage of faculty in IITs and other technical institutions.