CSIR Foundation Day Celebrated

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR today celebrated its 65th Foundation Day with great enthusiasm. Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences gave away the CSIR Young Scientist Awards 2007 and the CSIR Technology Awards 2007 at a function organized in New Delhi to mark the occasion. In his address, the Minister said that CSIR has done well to build up the scientific and technological capability in the country and support industry in the past when the endeavour was for technological self-reliance. However, in this era of global competitiveness, CSIR has to be sensitive and alert to the changing needs of the industry and continuously reposition its programmes and operations to be cost-effective and responsive to the market, he emphasized.

Shri Sibal suggested that with all the goodwill and support that CSIR enjoys today, it should forge ahead boldly with its programmes that apply the great prowess of science to meet the basic human needs of our people, generate research scientists in cross-disciplinary sunrise areas of S&T, build up competence, capability and technology options in the emerging areas like biotechnology, nanotechnology, new materials and IT, and partner in greater measure with Indian industry both small and big to enable it to compete globally.

Emphasizing that that the future lies in innovation – not only in manufacturing but also in agriculture, services and governance as well, the Minister said that there is a need to focus and concentrate on leveraging our strengths and opportunities to unleash India’s innovation potential.

Prof. MS Swaminathan, Chairman, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, graced the occasion as Guest of Honour. In his address he called upon CSIR to consider initiating a PAN-CSIR Project relating to the generation of opportunities for skilled, non-farm employment in rural India. He said there is a vast array of technologies in CSIR laboratories in relation to post-harvest processing and value addition, biomass utilization and efficient natural resources management which if transferred to the field will bring immense joy and benefit to rural families.

Prof. P Balaram, Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, delivered the CSIR Foundation Day Lecture on “Measuring & Assessing Science”.

On the occasion the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes for 2007 were announced by Dr. T Ramasami, Director General, CSIR. He also named the winners of CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award 2007 and CSIR Award for S&T Innovation in Rural Development.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : September 26, 2007