Annual Report 1999-2000

Infrastructure Development

Regional Sophisticated Instrumentation Centres (RSICs)

Regional Sophisticated Instrumentation Centres (RSICs) are located at IIT, Chennai; IIT, Mumbai; Bose Institute, Calcutta; CDRI, Lucknow; Punjab University, Chandigarh; NEHU, Shillong; Nagpur University, Nagpur; and Sophisticated Instrumentation Facilities (SIFs) at IISc, Bangalore; AIIMS, New Delhi; Guwahati University, Guwahati. The centres provide modern equipment to users from universities, R&D institutions, and industries for their research work / scientific problems. In addition, EPMA facility has been supported under this scheme at Roorkee University, Roorkee.

Equipment Available in RSICs/SIFs

RSICs/SIFs are equipped with sophisticated analytical instruments such as ICP, NMR, EPR, Mass Spectrometers, XRD, TEM, SEM etc. X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer has been added this year to RSIC at Mumbai. In order to enhance the capabilities of the existing RSICs/SIFs, a few accessories such as Graphite Furnace and hydride Generator were provided to RSIC at Nagpur and Ultramicrotome to SIF at New Delhi. All the above major instruments remained functional for use.

SICART starts functioning

A new ‘Sophisticated Instrumentation Centre for Research and Testing (SICART)’ at Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, has started functioning. The centre will be formally inaugurated by Secretary, DST shortly. The major equipment procured and put to use are : XRD, ICP-AES, GC, HPLC and SEM. Activities on advanced research and testing of instruments have also been undertaken by the Centre.

Utilisation of Facilities

• 5000 scientists, researchers from academic institutions, R&D labs and industries have utilised the above facilities during the year. Almost all the universities in the country have been the users of RSICs/SIFs.
  
• About 65000 samples were analyzed by the instruments available in these centres.
  
• 9 short term courses were organised to create awareness amongst the users about application of major analytical techniques.
  
• 10 training programmes were undertaken on maintenance / repairs/operation of instruments. Technical personnel from laboratories, universities enhanced their technical capabilities.
  
• RSICs/SIFs provided services of testing and calibration of instruments to users.Value added technical services were provided by offering a total package of solutions to problems including sampling, spectrum analysis and interpretation of results.

Unique Experiments

• Suspected part of Leonid Meteorites shower has been confirmed by RSIC, Chennai by analyzing a piece of meteorites found on November 18,1999 on the outskirts of Chennai. The sample has been kept in the Repository Museum of Geological Survey of India, at Calcutta and the data is of international importance.
  
• Central nervous system disorders are important causes of childhood mortality, morbidity and disability. Meningitis is a major disease. It is generally of three types viz. Pyogenic, Tubercular and Acute Encephalitis. NMR analysis of CSF samples of these diseases on 157 patients by RSIC at CDRI, Lucknow indicated that NMR analysis provides a more disease specific differentiation. The results/study is of national and international importance.
  
• Study of dating the dunes of Thar Desert and ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ of solid waste dumping at Jagatpura, Rajasthan carried out by using RSIC facilities at IIT, Mumbai is of immense utility.

• ‘Open Houses’ for college teachers were organised by IIT, Chennai for giving them an opportunity to know about sophisticated instruments.
  
• All RSICs/SIFs have published brochures detailing their activities, available instruments, charges and other service capabilities.

The S&T Professional Bodies and Academics of Science and Engineering play an important role in creating cohesiveness amongst the Scientific Community by arranging regular Annual Technical Meetings and Seminars, Conferences, Workshops, etc. and publishing scientific journals, annals and bulletins etc.

During the year 100 professional bodies were provided partial support for undertaking various S&T activities. These include The Zoological Society, Indian Chemical Society, Indian Institute of Metals, Indian Botanical Society, Calcutta Mathematical Society, Indian Physics Association, Forum D'Analysts, IETE, Indian Concrete Institute, Guha Research Conference, Bombay Natural History Society, Materials Research Society of India, Institution of Chemists, International Medical Science Academy, etc. Some of the Professional Societies supported on a continuing basis during the period include Current Science Association, Geological Society of India, National Institute of Advanced Studies, SPIC Mathematical Insitute (now named as Chennai Mathematical Institute), Society of Indian Ocean Studies, Jagdish Bose National Science Talent Search, etc.

The Department also extends partial support, on a selective basis, for organizing seminar/symposia/training programs/workshops/Conferences at a national as well as international level. The support is provided to Research Institutes/Universities/Medical and Engineering Colleges and other Academic Institutes/ Professional Bodies who organize such events for the scientific community to keep abreast of the latest developments in their specific areas. The support is generally towards encouraging participation of Young Scientists and Research Workers in such events alongwith publication of the Proceedings/Abstracts for wider dissemination.

In the current year, 135 seminars/symposia including 42 international events were provided financial support. Important ones supported are International Biophysics Congress, International Conference on Education in Botanic Garden, Industrial Tribology, Vibration Problems, Laser material and Devices, Citriculture, Eco-friendly S&T for 21st Century, Rapidly quenched and Metastable Materials, Asia Pacific Cancer Conference, Atraumatic Restorative Treatment, Frontiers in Structural Biology, Computer modelling simulation and communication, etc. and National Seminar on Laser, Plasma Science & Technology, Cancer, Condensed matter physics, Carbohydrate research, NMR Imaging, Neuroscience, Targets for New Drug Development, Aromatic plants, Surgery update, Cryogenics, DNA Fingerprinting, etc.

The construction of Seminar Complex at the Central University, Hyderabad was recently completed. The Complex is likely to be operational very soon. Partial Financial Assistance (PFA)

The objective of the scheme is to provide partial travel assistance to the Indian Scientists working in the Educational/Academic Institutions and National R&D Laboratories to enable them to participate in the International Conferences/Workshops etc. To provide an opportunity to the Indian Scientists to interact with their foreign counterparts which enables them to update their knowledge and also present their research findings at an International level for a better peer reviewing.

During the year 1999-2000, 396 candidates have been supported through this scheme out of which 107 were young scientists. The important conferences in which Indian scientists participated were Symposium on Environmental Pollution, International Congress of Pharmacology, International Congress on Plant Tissue & Cell, International Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium, International Conference on Very Large Databases, International Conference on Numerical Methods & Applications, International Conference on Polyphenols, International Conference on Magnetic Resonance & related Phenomena, International Conference on Toxicology in Developing Countries, International Conference on Thermophysical Properties of Materials, International Conference on Statistics etc.