Bridging the Divide: Integrating Social Sciences through the A.S.P.I.R.E. Framework for a Socially Responsible Research Ecosystem in India

The prevailing binary structure of India’s national eligibility tests—the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-UGC NET for Science and Technology (S&T) and the University Grants Commission (UGC)-NET for Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS)—is increasingly anachronistic in an era defined by socio-technical challenges. This paper argues for the strategic integration of relevant Social Science and Humanities disciplines into the CSIR-UGC NET as a dedicated, interdisciplinary track. This integration is formalised through the A.S.P.I.R.E. Framework (Assessment for Societal-Policy Integrated Research Eligibility). Such a measure is essential for fulfilling the mandate of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, enhancing the societal relevance and ethical governance of S&T research, and developing a generation of researchers capable of Mode 2 knowledge production—knowledge generated in the context of its application. The A.S.P.I.R.E. integration is posited not as a dilution of scientific rigour but as a necessary strengthening of the research ecosystem's capacity to address complex national problems with holistic solutions.