15 december 2007 373 - · pdf filejointly awarded to nimbkar agricultural research institute...

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Dr BrahmacDr BrahmacDr BrahmacDr BrahmacDr Brahmachari DG, hari DG, hari DG, hari DG, hari DG, CSIR

As IGIB Director, DrBrahmachari transformed thisinstitute to an Institution ofKnowledge Generation andDevelopment and establishedalliances with industries who areexpert in production, marketingand wealth generation. GenomedAlliance and the TCGA project areoutcomes of such strategy.

Dr Brahmachari was first toconceptualize and implementGenomed, a first-of-its-kind alliancein India between a governmentinstitute — IGIB [formerly Centrefor Biochemical Technology (CBT)]and a pharmaceutical company —Nicholas Piramal India Limited.This knowledge alliance wasdedicated to the study andadvancement of genomics,pharmacogenomics andbioinformatics. This model allowedknowledge generation andabsorption by industrysimultaneously and was distinctlydifferent from contractual researchor technology transfer. The firstpredictive diagnostic medicine fordrug nonresponders of Asthma hasbeen developed. The project has sofar filed two international patents.

Dr Brahmachari alsoconceptualized the creation ofTCGA, “The Centre for GenomicApplication”. It is a collaborativeR&D project between TheChatterjee Group and IGIB/CSIR/DST that is used as a sharedresource for all the research centresin the country, be it public or private.TCGA is a trendsetter where aworld class high throughput facility/ infrastructure required to harnessthe knowledge coming out from

Human Genome research isestablished jointly by industry andthe institute. This facility is allowingIGIB to lead genomics research inthe country by disseminating itsknowledge, and thereby helping infulfillment of its mandate to providesupport services for large-scaledevelopment of Genomics &Proteomics in the country allowingIndia to lead, and not merely follow,in the post genomics era.

Dr Brahmachari is a recipientof several prestigious honours andawards, which include:• National Science Talent Search

Scholarship by NCERT, 1968• Young Scientist Medal by Indian

National Science Academy, 1979• Kani Medal by National Cancer

Research Centre, Tokyo, Japan,1981

• Elected member of GuhaResearch Conference (India), 1986

• Cama Memorial Award, Societyof Biological Chemists (India),1990

• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizein Biological Sciences by CSIR,1990

• Fellowship of the Indian Academyof Sciences, 1991

• Elected Member of Human

Genome Organization (HUGO)1991• Fellowship of the IndianNational Science Academy, 1995• C. R. KrishnamurthyOration Award by Society ofBiological Chemists (India), 1998• FICCI Award 1998-99 inrecognition of individual initiativein Life Sciences includingagriculture, 1999• Millennium Medal byIndian Science Congress, 2000

• Fellowship of the NationalAcademy of Sciences, Allahabad,2001

• Ranbaxy Research Award in thefield of Medical Sciences -Medical Research, 2001

• Goyal Prize in the field of LifeSciences by the KurukshetraUniversity, 2001

• B. K. Bachhawat Oration LectureAward by the Jawaharlal NehruUniversity, 2003

• C. R. Krishnamurthy OrationAward by the Central DrugResearch Institute, 2003

• Elected Council Member, HUGOby Human Genome Organization,2004

• Prof. P.P.K. Bose MemorialAward by Indian ChemicalSociety, 2004

• Fellow of Biotech ResearchSociety of India (BRSI) BiotechResearch Society of India, 2005

Dr Brahmachari has also beena member of various Task Forces andCommittees, Government of India;member, expert group on HumanRights and Biotechnology, UnitedNations; Council Member,FAOBMB, since 1997; and memberIndo-European Commission S&T

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NNNNNobel Pobel Pobel Pobel Pobel Peace Peace Peace Peace Peace Prize To rize To rize To rize To rize To IPCC

Dr Sukumar Devotta — A member of IPCC

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize- 2007 to the Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change (IPCC), jointly withformer US Vice-President Al Gore, is aremarkable testament to the dedicationand commitment of the thousands ofexperts and participants who haveproduced the Panel’s rigorous andcomprehensive assessments reports onclimate change. “This is an honour thatgoes to all the scientists and authors whohave contributed to the work of the IPCC,which alone has resulted in enormousprestige for this organization and theremarkable effectiveness of the messagethat it claims,” says Shri RajendraPachauri, Chairman of the IPCC.

“It is the most significant recognitionthat the IPCC has received for providingpolicymakers with objective and balancedinformation about the course and impactsof climate change and possible responsemeasures,” says Renate Christ, theSecretary of the IPCC.

Hundreds of authors from all regionsof the planet have voluntarily devotedincredible amounts of time and labour to

Steering Committee.He has beenincluded in theAdvisory Committeeof the X-Prize inGenomics whichconsists of leadingGenomics Scientistsof the world.

Dr Brahmacharihas also beeninvolved in the issuesrelated to genomicsresearch and humanrights. As an advisorto Human RightsHigh Commission,he has addressedissues of unethicalexploitation ofgenetic resources ofthe Third World andhas championed theconcept of rights ofpatients in benefitsharing in thedevelopment ofgenomic medicines.He has contributedsignificantly inpromoting industry-academia inter-actions throughnovel programme ofknowledge partner-ship.

Dr Brahmacharihas over 130publications inleading internationaljournals and has fivepatents and 10software copyrightsto his credit.

writing and reviewing the reports. Noneof them has been paid for their time. TheIPCC was created almost 20 years ago asa response to growing concern about therisk of climate change. The GeneralAssembly of the United Nations asked thetwo UN bodies engaged in the issue, theWorld Meteorological Organization(WMO) and the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP), to setup this Panel to provide a balanced andobjective policy advice. The IPCCassessments are based on peer-reviewedscientific and technical literature. TheIPCC reports are written by teams ofauthors from all over the world who arerecognized experts in their field. Theyrepresent relevant disciplines as well asdiffering scientific perspectives. Thisglobal coverage of expertise, theinterdisciplinary nature of the IPCCteam, and the transparency of the process,constitute the Panel’s strongest assets.

The Council of Scientific andIndustrial Research (CSIR) is proud tohave Dr Sukumar Devotta, Director ofNational Environmental Engineering

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R&D HighlightsR&D HighlightsR&D HighlightsR&D HighlightsR&D Highlights

Emulsifier composition for cakes anda method of making improved quality cakes thereof

developed by CFTRI (US Patent No. 7172784)

Emulsifiers are importantfunctional additives in modern

food processing. They are usedextensively to improve the productvolume, tenderize crumb and todelay crumb firming.

The functionality of an emulsifieris related to its amphiphiliccharacter and the resulting surfaceactivity.

The use of emulsifiers is guidedby their hydrophilic lipophilicbalance and physical forms. Properdispersion of emulsifier is crucial toenhance batter aeration, increasedcake volume with finer and moreeven structure and improved storage

Research Institute (NEERI),Nagpur, as a member of theIPCC. Dr Devotta hadcontributed to four IPCCreports entitled “Methodolo-gical and Technical Issues inTechnology Transfer: A SpecialReport of IPCC Working GroupIII” (2000); “Climate Change2001: Mitigation” (2001);“IPCC/TEAP Special ReportSafeguarding the Ozone Layerand the Global Climate System:Issues related to HFCs andPFCs” (2005) and “2006 IPCCGuidelines for NationalGreenhouse Gas Inventories forIndustrial Processes andProduct Use” (2006).

An e-mail received by DrDevotta from Dr OgunladeDavidson and Dr Bert Metz,Co-chairs IPCC Working GroupIII reads as “You no doubt haveheard about award of NobelPeace Prize to the IPCC, jointlywith Al Gore of USA. Thismakes all of you a NobelLaureate and we, as co-chairswant to congratulate youwholeheartedly with thisexceptional recognition”. For DrSukumar Devotta thisrecognition is definitely moraleboosting and will add to hiscommitment to the IPCC. “Ibeing a chemical engineerwould continue to support themitigation work of IPCC” - saysDr Devotta.

See also Nobel Prize for Peace toIPCC and contribution ofDr Unnikrishnan of NIO,CSIR News 57(2007) 337.

Life on submerged structures inmarine waters begins with

bacterial adhesion. Such a processof colonizing bacteria on thesubmerged surfaces leads to‘biofouling’. Biofouling of thesurfaces cause serious economicproblems such as increase in fuelconsumption by ships, impairmentof heat transfer and induction and /or inhibition of metal corrosion, etc.To avoid biofouling, they are thentreated with toxic chemicals. Thesechemicals are available in market bya common name ‘antifoulants’.Different antifoulants work ondifferent principles. Some act onbacterial cells and inactivateessential enzymes whereas othersoxidize organic constituents in thecells. Few act adversely on the

Identifying mechanism of antifoulant for best use

qualities.The Central Food Technological

Research Institute, Mysore, hasdeveloped and patented a newemulsifier composition for use incakes with improved functionalproperties.

The advantages of thiscomposition are improved crumbcell characteristics and texturalcharacteristics, such as optimummoistness, tenderness, softnessand improved cake volume. Alsothere is a substantial amount ofcost savings, as there is noreplacement of fat while the cake isprepared.

bacterial cell membranes. Ingeneral, these could therefore bereferred to as agents reducingcellular metabolism and growth. Butstill bacterial adhesion occurs andleads to fouling of submergedsurfaces. It implies that there areother factors such as cellhydrophobicity, cell surface charge,and extracellular polysaccharides(EPS) known to influence bacterialadhesion to the surfaces. Moreover,effect of antifoulant on these factorswas not studied earlier.2, 4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), an un-coupler of oxidativephosphorylation, is known to inhibitbacterial adhesion to surfaces byinhibiting EPS production.However, effect of DNP on bacterialcell surface properties was not

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studied earlier.Scientists of IndianInstitute ofC h e m i c a lTechnology (IICT),Hyderabad, haveattempted to assessthe effect of DNP oncell surfacehydrophobicity, cellsurface charge, aswell as EPSproduction and itseffect on bacterialattachment to glassand polystyrenesurfaces. Theexperiment revealedthat there is noinfluence of DNPtreatment onbacterial cell surfacecharge and EPSp r o d u c t i o n .However, DNPreduces thebacterial cell surfacehydrophobicity to agreater extent andthereby reduces thebacterial attachmentto glass andpolystyrene surfaces.Thus, understandingthe effect of DNP oncell surface proper-ties and EPSproduction providesa better insight intothe mechanism ofinhibition of bacterialadhesion to surfacesthat will help in thedesign of appro-priate anti-foulingstrategies.

Improving lamb production and enhancingthe viability of the Indian sheep breeding industryNCL and NARI’s-CAIRD-2007 winning innovation

The CSIR Award for S&TInnovations for Rural Development

for the year 2007 (CAIRD-2007) has beenjointly awarded to Nimbkar AgriculturalResearch Institute (NARI), Phaltan andNational Chemical Laboratory (NCL),Pune, for the innovation aimed atimproving lamb production andenhancing the viability of the Indiansheep breeding industry. NARI and NCLshare this award with the NationalResearch Centre on Yak inArunachal Pradesh [CSIR News57(2007), 334]. Described here is thesignificance of this prestigious award-winning innovation:

India has a growing need for goodquality meat protein, which in turn,

depends on a viable sheep breedingindustry. Most Indian sheep breeds areraised for meat production rather thanwool and more than 100,000 shepherdfamilies totally depend on sheep rearingin Maharashtra alone. Shepherds’income is directly related to the numberof lambs produced by each ewe. NARIand NCL effort was aimed at introducingthe fecundity gene FecB from the onlyprolific Indian breed, Garole, into theDeccani breed of Maharashtra using adirect DNA test for detection of thegene. The project has demonstrated thatewes carrying the FecB gene produceabout 5 extra lambs per 10 ewescompared to ewes that do not have theFecB gene.

Sheep breed ‘NARI-Suwarna’

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The new strain of Deccani sheep carrying this gene isnamed “NARI Suwarna”. These ewes have a higherproportion of twin lambs than the ordinary Deccani butretain the looks and hardiness of the Deccani. Thisimprovement is genetic and permanent and translates intoan extra income of Rs 400-600 per ewe to the shepherd dueto increased number of lambs available for sale. A nucleusflock of 500 NARI Suwarna ewes has been established atNARI. The innovation has also been successfullydemonstrated in more than 30 shepherds’ flocks in thePhaltan area through dissemination of breeding ramscarrying the gene and monitoring closely the lambproduction and its economics.

This work was carried out with financial support fromhe Australian Centre for International AgriculturalResearch by a team led by Mr B.V. Nimbkar and consistingof Dr Chanda Nimbkar, Dr Pradip Ghalasasi and MsPadmaja Ghalasasi along with about 20 livestocksupervisors, assistants and sheep herders at NARI and theteam led by Dr Vidya Gupta consisting of Ms VarshaPardeshi and Dr Mohini Sainani at NCL with scientificsupport from several collaborators from Australia, viz. DrSteve Walkden-Brown, Prof. Julius van der Werf and DrJill Maddox from the University of New England and theUniversity of Melbourne.

CAIRD award carries a cash prize of rupees 10 lakh,a citation and a plaque. The Hon’ble Prime Minister ofIndia will present the award to the winners at a specialfunction.

Variable Mach NumberFlexible Nozzle (VMFN)

Very high starting and stopping transient loadsare the bane of blowdown wind tunnels

operating at high supersonic Mach numbers allover the world. The origin of starting transientloads is the passage of the starting normal shock(also called terminal shock), which occurs whenair at high pressure is suddenly released into thewind tunnel by opening the Pressure RegulatingValve (PRV) . If the second throat area isappropriately set, the starting shock settles downdownstream of the second throat and supersonicflow in the test section gets stabilized. The processlasts typically for 0.3 to 0.5 seconds. The origin ofstopping transient loads is the break down ofsteady supersonic flow, which occurs when thePRV is suddenly closed during a blowdown. Whenthe supply pressure is cut off, the terminal shockmoves upstream of the second throat, becomesunstable and rapidly travels upstream towardsthe settling chamber. Strong pressure wavesrapidly travel up and down the test section for afew seconds till viscous dissipation stabilizes theoscillatory flow and ambient conditions arereached in the test section. Stopping loads areusually more severe than starting loads becauseof absence of aerodynamic damping duringstopping.

Various techniques have been implementedin wind tunnel facilities to minimize the startingand stopping loads. Among them is the use of aVariable MachNumber Flexible Nozzle (VMFN).

When the idea of enhancing the testingcapability of National Aerospace Laboratories(NAL), Bangalore’s 0.6 m wind tunnel fromtransonic to supersonic Mach numbers came upas a part of NTAF augmentation programme, theVMFN was construed as the best option,considering the cost, time and technology factors.The operational philosophy of VMFN is to startthe wind tunnel at a low Mach number and a lowstagnation pressure and then reach the requiredhigh supersonic Mach number along with

Team responsible for improved lamb production: Sitting (from left)Vidya Gupta, Mohini Sainani, Varsha Pardeshi, Padmaja Ghalasasi.

Standing (from left): Vicky Poole, Jill Maddox, Steve Walkden –Brown,Herman Radsma, Chanda Nimbkar, B.V. Nimbkar, Ian, Pradip Ghalasasi

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MoU/ConsultancyMoU/ConsultancyMoU/ConsultancyMoU/ConsultancyMoU/Consultancy

synchronous increase in stagnation pressure.In this process, supersonic Mach number inthe test section can be achieved with theminimum stagnation pressure (runningpressure). After completion of tests at therequired high Mach number, the VMFN canbe reverted to a low Mach number conditionand low stagnation pressure and then stopped.

While the concept of a VMFN appearsreasonably simple, there are severalengineering challenges in practically realizingsuch a nozzle, some of which are listed below:

• Ability to operate the nozzle using a single servo actuator, for direct control on nozzleshape

• Mechanism to convert the motion of theactuator into symmetric, simultaneous andvertical motions of top and bottom platesof the nozzle with respect to the centerline

• Determination of aerodynamic contours toachieve the best Mach numberdistribution along the test section,considering finite number of actuationpoints

• Mechanical and structural design

• Drive system design

• Physical realization of the aerodynamiccontours through kinematics

• Stagnation pressure control system

• Nozzle control system

• Integration of the above control systemsconsidering different time constants, withthe other control systems of the windtunnel.

One of the interesting problemsassociated with the operation of such a nozzleis the on-line matching of two different time-varying systems, viz., the stagnation pressure controlled by the PRV and the nozzlethroat controlled by the drive system. Animproper matching can lead to catastrophicresults.

HRDC signs MoU with FORE

In its quest to make available best of learning tools, exposureto renowned management experts and teachers, and help

develop managerial and leadership qualities in CSIR staff, theCSIR’s Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC),Ghaziabad, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)with FORE School of Management (FSM), New Delhi, on 30July 2007. HRDC has the mandate to develop and enhanceknowledge and skills base of CSIR personnel in managerialand functional skills through structured training. The ForeSchool of Management is one of the top 10 management schoolsof the country and has been established by Foundation forOrganisational Research & Education (FORE), a non-profitsociety for promotion of excellence in management educationand research.

The MoU was signed by Dr Naresh Kumar, Officer onSpecial Duty, HRDC, CSIR and Dr Seema Sanghi, Director,FSM, in the presence of Dr H.R. Bhojwani, Adviser to UnionMinister of Science & Technology & Earth Sciences and ShriS.N. Sharma, Consultant, HRDC.

The MoU heralds a new era of collaboration betweenresearch and academia in the area of human resourcedevelopment and research. The two organizations have joinedhands to synergize their skills and competencies for enhancingorganizational effectiveness and efficiency. The provisions ofMoU include exchange and collaboration between CSIR and

Dr Naresh Kumar, Officer on Special Duty, HRDC, CSIR and Dr Seema Sanghi,Director, FSM, signing the MoU

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The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), representedby National Aerospace Laboratories, (NAL), Bangalore, has

entered into agreements with Kumaraguru College of Technology,Coimbatore and Mysore University. Signed on 5 October 2007, theagreement with Kumaraguru College of Technology is for usheringand strengthening it to make it a better R&D institute.

The agreement with Mysore University was signed on 19 October2007 for co-operative programme in academic training and research.Some of the areas identified for Mysore University are:1. Computational Structural Mechanics2. Aerodynamics/Computational Fluid Mechanics3. Propulsion – Heat Transfer & Thermodynamics4. Design and Analysis of Aircraft Structures5. Material Science6. Electronics7. Computer Science8. Composites and Polymer Science, etc.

FSM for research, training andconsultancy in the areas ofmanagement of technology,management of R&D, materialprocurement and handling,administrative and financialoperations, conferences, customizedtraining programmes, researchprojects, case studies, etc.

IIT, Roorkee recognition forHRDC, Ghaziabad

Human Resource DevelopmentCentre, Ghaziabad, got yet anotherrecognition. This time from IndianInstitute of Technology, Roorkee, asa Research Centre for the purposeof pursuing Ph.D. in the areas ofHumanities and Social Sciences andManagement Studies.

This recognition followsHRDC’s agreements with FORESchool of Management, New Delhiand Technology Institute ofManagement of TUHH, Hamburg,Germany, wherein these institutionsshall co-develop courses for skillenhancement of CSIR staff.

The Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Tripura, requested the North-East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat, for assistance in setting up of a Quality Control Laboratory at Agartala.

In this connection the Director, NEIST visited and had discussions with the Ministers and PWD officials atAgartala. Following his visit, the Applied Civil Engineering Division of NEIST-Jorhat, has become activelyengaged for the job. The division has already procured various equipment from Kolkata which are going to betranshipted to Agartala. The division will also impart training to the personnel deputed by the Tripura govern-ment. Shri A. Biswas, In-Charge, Applied Civil Engg., also visited the site in Tripura and had discussions withthe officials of PWD. The works are in progress and NEIST- Jorhat and PWD, Government of Tripura, are likelyto sign an MoU for the purpose shortly.

NEIST assists in setting up a quality control laboratory at Agartala

MoU/ConsultancyMoU/ConsultancyMoU/ConsultancyMoU/ConsultancyMoU/Consultancy

Exchanging of MoU documents

MoU with Academic Institutions

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Training-cum-Production unitset up at Tripura

Atraining-cum-productioncentre for non-leather

footwear has come into being atDhajanagar, Udaipur, SouthTripura, in the small scale sector,with the joint initiatives of North-East Institute of Science andTechnology (NEIST), Jorhat;Central Leather ResearchInstitute (CLRI), Chennai andTripura State Council for Science& Technology (TCSTC), Agartala,managed by Udaipur NagarPanchayat, an urban local bodyof Tripura, this centre is intendedto develop need-based humanresources and entrepreneurshipwithin the state throughmotivation and training. TheMinistry of Human ResourceDevelopment, Government ofIndia, has been extendingfinancial grants in the form of aproject for setting up of thecentre at Tripura and CLRI-Chennai acted as thecoordinating laboratory forexecution of the work. A tripartiteMoU was also signed betweenNEIST-Jorhat, CLRI-Chennaiand TSCST-Agartala to this effect.The unit was formallyinaugurated by Shri BadalChoudhury, Minister of Science& Technology, Finance, PWD,etc. Government of Tripura, on 30July 2007. Dr P. G. Rao, Director,NEIST-Jorhat, attended theinaugural function of the centreas a Guest of Honour. This centreis expected to fulfil a long felt needof the entrepreneurs of the stateof Tripura.

CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations atLaboratories/Institutes

All the 37 CSIR Laboratories/Institutes celebrated the 65thCSIR Foundation Day on 26 September with great enthusiasm.

Basically, it is an occasion to celebrate excellence — to take stock of theperformance of the past year and plan for the future. Special lectureswere arranged on the occasion and the staff members who had completed25 years of regular service and who had retired since the last FoundationDay, were honoured by presenting mementoes. Various competitions wereorganized and winners were awarded. The occasion was also observed asOpen Day by many institutes/laboratories and a large number of people,particularly the students visited and interacted with the scientists.

The main function, held at the National Physical Laboratory, NewDelhi, was covered in the 30 October issue of CSIR News. Highlightedhere are the programmes organized on this occasion by CBRI, CECRI,IICB, IIP, NAL, NCL, NEERI, NEIST, and NISCAIR:

Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee

At CBRI, Shri L. Mansingh,I.A.S. and President, Petroleum andNatural Gas Regulatory Board,Government of India, was the ChiefGuest. Lauding the R&D at CBRIShri Mansingh in his addressmentioned that the institute hasimmensely contributed to thedevelopment of low-cost buildingtechnologies with focus on the

utilization of waste materials and bydeveloping partially prefabtechnologies which have foundapplications throughout the country.It has also provided solutions toconserve energy in the buildingsector and played important role inconstruction and rehabilitation ofhouses and buildings in earthquakeaffected areas in the state of U.P.,

CSIRFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day Celebrations

A view of CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations at CBRI. Seated on the dais (A view of CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations at CBRI. Seated on the dais (A view of CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations at CBRI. Seated on the dais (A view of CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations at CBRI. Seated on the dais (A view of CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations at CBRI. Seated on the dais (from leftfrom leftfrom leftfrom leftfrom left) are:) are:) are:) are:) are:Dr A.K. Gupta; Shri L. Mansingh, I.A.S.; Dr M.O. GarDr A.K. Gupta; Shri L. Mansingh, I.A.S.; Dr M.O. GarDr A.K. Gupta; Shri L. Mansingh, I.A.S.; Dr M.O. GarDr A.K. Gupta; Shri L. Mansingh, I.A.S.; Dr M.O. GarDr A.K. Gupta; Shri L. Mansingh, I.A.S.; Dr M.O. Garg, Dirg, Dirg, Dirg, Dirg, Directorectorectorectorector, CBRI, CBRI, CBRI, CBRI, CBRI

and Shri Yand Shri Yand Shri Yand Shri Yand Shri Y. Pandey. Pandey. Pandey. Pandey. Pandey. Shri Subhash T. Shri Subhash T. Shri Subhash T. Shri Subhash T. Shri Subhash Tyyyyyagi, COagi, COagi, COagi, COagi, COA, CBRI, prA, CBRI, prA, CBRI, prA, CBRI, prA, CBRI, proposed a voposed a voposed a voposed a voposed a vote of thanksote of thanksote of thanksote of thanksote of thanks

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Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharastraand other parts of the country.

Earlier, Shri Y. Pandey, Scientist‘F’, introduced the Chief Guest tothe audience. Dr A.K. Gupta,Scientist ‘G’, CBRI, traced thehistory of CBRI. Dr M.O. Garg,Director, CBRI, welcomed the ChiefGuest and highlighted the institute’sR&D activities.

He pointed out that the Scientistof CBRI and other CSIR labs arestriving hard to keep pace with thedevelopment in different parts of the

globe and it is indeed a matter ofgreat satisfaction that our countryis now considered as one of thegreatest resources of the worldmarket as the Scientists of thiscountry have proved their worth.CBRI is one of those labs which aredirectly concerned and connectedwith the upliftment of common manbecause shelter is one of the basicneeds. CBRI has always played avital role in finding appropriatesolutions for providing houses andbuildings to meet the aspirations of

At CECRI, Shri V.Subramanian, Secretary,Ministry of New andRenewable Energy,Government of India,New Delhi, delivered thekey-note address. He calledfor a movement topopularize new andrenewable energy sourcesto meet the national energydemand. He said thatproducing energy by usingalternative sources such aswind power, biomass, hydel powerand solar power was the needfor the hour. “The country hasimmense potential to producerenewable energy. Industry houses,educational institutions, localbodies and even individuals cancontribute to the energy demand byinstalling wind plants or solarenergy systems on their premises”,he suggested.

Shri Subramanian further saidthat the renewable energy wasalmost equal to nuclear energy. Thecountry must go for a revolution in

Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi

installation and commercializationof renewable energy as was the caseof the mobile phone revolution. Itwould not only bring down the costof production but also benefitconsumers. Shri Subramanian saidthe current installed capacity ofrenewable energy was around10,600 MW. The Ministry had setan ambitious target of producing14,000 MW in addition to theexisting capacity. Globally, thecountry stood fifth in the productionof new and renewable energy andfourth in the production of windpower. Tamilnadu has been the

Shri V. Subramanian, delivering the CSIR Foundation Day lecture at CECRI

the people of this country. Besidesits natural wealth and resources,state of Uttarakhand is considereda home of disasters as it falls insevere earthquake prone area. Theproblem of landslide, hill storms,avalanches, etc. are a commonfeature and CBRI is providing itsservices to mitigate losses andsuffering owing to these naturalhazards.

Shri Subhash Tyagi, COA,CBRI, proposed a vote of thanks.

leading producer ofrenewable energyrecording more than 50% ofwind power production inthe country. It had alsodone well with regard toother sources such asbiomass gas, hydel andsolar power. Availability oftechnically qualifiedmanpower and presence ofhigh velocity wind zonessuch as Palakad.

Shenkottai and Aralvoi Mozhi passeshave been important factors. Settingup offshore windmill projects is noton the cards at the moment as thecyclone-prone coastline is notsuitable for installing them, he said.He appreciated the remarkablecontributions made by CECRI onfuel cells and batteries over theyears.

Earlier, Prof. A.K. Shukla,Director, CECRI, welcomed thegathering. Shri C. Sri VidyaRajagopalan, Deputy Director andChairman, Organizing Committee,proposed the vote of thanks.

CSIR Foundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day Celebrations

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Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata

At IICB, Prof. B.B. Biswas,former Director, Bose Institute,Kolkata, was the Guest-in chief, andPadmashree Dr Gyan ChandraMishra, Director, National Centrefor Cell Sciences (NCCS), Pune,delivered the CSIR Foundation Daylecture on ‘Dancing theimmunological two-step synapse!Who orchestrates the music…. theantigen or costimulation?’.

Prof. Siddhartha Roy, Director,IICB, presided over the function.Prof. Roy in his welcome addressfocused on what is new for us. Hementioned that India has enteredinto an era of rapid growth anddeclared that the new frontier is nomore in west but in the east.Scientists are no longer bound bylack of resources. He called uponthem to utilize these resourcesproperly. He emphasized that thefuture programmes of CSIR andIICB should be such that theseprovide more benefits of science tothe common people of India.

Dr H. K. Majumdar, Scientist

G, IICB and Chairman, FoundationDay Organizing Committee, in hisintroductory lecture talked aboutscientific developments andachievements of IICB, its pastcontributions and futureprogrammes for growth of the nationand to build scientific base stronger.He also pointed out that IICBmaintains a continuous record ofquality science and publications inhighly esteemed international andnational journals, and opined that

the slogan of current age should be‘Research must flow from Lab toLand’.

Prof. Biswas in his inauguraladdress spoke about theestablishment and growth of CSIR.He briefly described, starting fromCalcutta Drug Test House to Boardof Scientific and Industrial Research(BSIR) and its transformation intoCSIR with the sincere effort of Prof.Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. He alsocited the contribution of PanditJawaharlal Nehru in thedevelopment of scientific researchin India. He appreciated the effortof IICB and CSIR towardsestablishing a Proteomic ResearchCentre at Kolkata. He expressedthat it is now Genomic era andexplained how it works, developsand helps mankind and alsohighlighted the significance ofartificial intelligence, robotics andsystems biology in the expansion ofscience.

The function was graced byinvited guests, distinguishedscientists, present employees,former colleagues and the students.

Seen on dais during the CSIR Foundation Day Celebration at IICB (from left) are: Dr H. K.Majumdar, Dr G. C. Mishra, Prof. S. Roy, Prof. B.B. Biswas and Shri S. Chaudhuri

Students interacting with scientists at IICB


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Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehra Dun

Shri L. Mansingh, Chairperson,Petroleum & Natural GasRegulatory Board, Government ofIndia, New Delhi, who was ChiefGuest, delivered the CSIRFoundation Day Lecture on‘Regulatory Frame Work In Oil &Gas Sector’. Shri Mansingh saidthat while the indigenousproduction of the crude oil has beenstagnant over the last six years, itsdemand is increasing at exponentialrate. The demand of petroleum isexpected to rise to 368 million tonnesper annum and that of natural gasto 125 billion cubic metre by 2025.

After dismantling ofAdministered Pricing Mechanism(APM) in April 2002, Government ofIndia enacted an Act in 2006 forestablishing the Petroleum andNatural Gas Regulatory Board(PNGRB). Shri Mansinghmentioned objectives of the Board,which are to oversee and regulaterefining, processing, storage,transportation, distribution,marketing and sale; to protectinterests of consumers and entitiesengaged in specified activities; toensure uninterrupted and adequatesupply and to promote competitivemarkets.

PNGRB registers entities tomarket notified petroleum,petroleum products and natural gas,to establish and operate liquefiednatural gas terminals, to establishstorage facilities for petroleum,petroleum products and natural gas.It also authorizes entities to lay,build, operate or expand a commoncarrier or contract carrier or city or

local natural gas distributionnetwork. The other importantfunction of the Board is to ensurethat the petroleum products reachthe consumers without adulteration,said Shri Mansingh.

Welcoming the Chief Guest, DrM. O. Garg, Director, IIP, definedCSIR as an organization whichbelieves in conceptualization ofideas, scientific innovation, researchto develop technologies, its scale-up,follow-up with the clients andcommissioning of the plants. Hesaid that IIP right from its inceptionhas been working on these lines andhas developed a large number oftechnologies for refining and relatedindustries. He also highlighted therole of IIP in human resourcedevelopment of the industry.

Dr Garg also mentioned aboutthe IIP winners of the CSIR

Technology Award for Innovation2007 for ‘Development of NewCatalyst for Sweetening of Lighterand Heavier Petroleum Fraction’.The award carries a cash award ofRs 2 lakh, a plaque and a citation.

Earlier, Dr A. Datta, Scientist‘G’, said that Foundation Day is anoccasion when we express ourgratitude to the founders of this greatorganization and those who had thevision. CSIR is a uniqueorganization due to itsmultidisciplinary activities andstrong networking within itslaboratories and thus has thecapability to provide completesolution to the needs of the society.

Dr V.S. Saini, Chairman,Foundation Day CelebrationCommittee, informed that morethan 300 school students had beeninvited to visit the institute.

Shri L. Mansingh, Chairperson, PNGRB, delivering the CSIR Foundation Day Lecture at IIP


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National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore

Vice Admiral Raman Puri,(Retd) PVSM, AVSM, VSM, whowas the Chief Guest at NAL,delivered the CSIR Foundation DayLecture, on ‘Strategy forIndigenous Capability Building inAeronautics’. He said thatinnovation leads to productivityenhancement and hence tosubstantial increase in output levelsboth at the micro and macro level.In essence ‘Innovation is theCatalyst for Growth’. He opinedthat the status of a country’saeronautical prowess was a generalindication of the country’stechnological capabilities, and calledfor developing sophisticated

technology in India. Vice Admiral Raman Puri also

launched the NAL’s Hindi website.Ms Poornima Narayan, Deputy

Head, ICAST, spoke about thesalient features of the Hindi websiteand thanked her colleagues for theirefforts in its creation.

Earlier, NAL Director Dr A. R.Upadhya, welcomed the ChiefGuest Vice Admiral Raman Puri, thedistinguished guests, members ofthe media and his colleagues. Hespoke about the achievements ofCSIR in the area of research anddevelopment. He also brieflymentioned the path-breaking roleplayed by NAL in R&D in the

aviation sector.Dr T. G. Ramesh, Head,

Material Science Division, deliveredthe tenth CSIR Foundation DayBusiness Lecture onInstrumentation and MaterialsTechnology. He spoke aboutDRISHTI, the state of the artindigenously developedtransmissometer for measurementof runway visibility — a parameterof great importance in flyingoperations.

The function concluded with avote of thanks proposed by Dr M.R. Nayak, Adv. (M&A). Dr M. N.Sathyanarayana, Jt. Head, KTMD,compered the programme.

National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune

Dr Narendra Jadhav, ViceChancellor, University of Pune(UoP), delivered the CSIRFoundation Day Lecture at NCL.Dr Jadhav, a renowned economist,spoke on “Problems of highereducation and challenges faced”.

Dr S. Sivaram, Director, NCLwelcomed Dr Jadhav and theaudience. He described Dr Jadhavas an eminent economist havingworked with Reserve Bank of India(RBI) in various capacities for thelast thirty years. Dr Jadhav, a bestselling author, has penned elevenbooks in Marathi and English. Manyof his books have been translated inIndian and foreign languages. He ismore recognised amongst readersthrough his most popular Marathibook ‘Amcha Baap ani Amhi’.

Dr Jadhav in his talk spoke ontopics such as economicdevelopments since liberalisation ofeconomy in early 1990s, foreignexchange reserves, problem inhigher education and the role playedby UoP, and NCL’s role along withUoP to produce quality manpower.He said for the first time after sixtyyears people of the country havebecome extremely confident of thefuture. In 1991 the country facedunprecedented macroeconomiccrisis leading to financial crisis andunavailability of foreign exchange.The country then changed itseconomic policies and graduallyaccelerated the growth rate initiallyfrom three and a half percent to sixpercent and finally around ninepercent.

Dr Jadhav compared the growthrate and per capita growth rate withthat of the living standards. Hisstatistics clearly indicated that dueto the per capita growth in income,the living standards have improvedsubstantially. The foreign exchangereserves have increased to more than200 billion dollars, thereby, makingIndia the sixth largest holder offoreign exchange in the world. In thelast three years it has started lendingmoney as compared to the earlierscenario where it was paying loans.Dr Jadhav said that though the rateof growth is accelerating jobcreation in the economy isdecelerating; and the challenge liesin reducing the gap between thetwo. He said that 24% of the Indianpopulation lives below poverty line.

CSIRFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day Celebrations

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Pune, Nagar, Nasik andBaramati centres. It is alsoproposed to spread theobjectives of the “SamarthBharat Abhiyan”, wherein,each college adopts onenearby village and bringsthe benefit of knowledge tothe welfare of the villagesin terms of primaryeducation, sanitation, treeplanta-tion, environment,water management,communal harmony, GISmapping, etc. The UoPalso plans to enhance its

global linkages with universitiesworld wide.

Dr Jadhav also expressed thedesire of UoP to work together withNCL in many areas of commoninterest, one of which would be toproduce high quality PhDs in theinterest of society. He pointed outthat UoP, NCL and IISER can forma powerhouse of high qualityeducation in basic sciences andtogether contribute to thegeneration of over one thousand fivehundred plus PhDs.

In terms of GDP, though,India counts as the secondfastest economy in theworld but in humandevelopment index, Indiastands at the bottomtwenty, based on factorssuch as public health,education, etc. Out of 134countries surveyed Indiaoccupies the 124th

position.Dr Jadhav

emphasised the need toimpart proper educationand training to a largenumber of young and productivepopulation of India. He describedthe young and growing populationas country’s greatest asset(demographic dividend). He alludedto several problems in educationsuch as lack of adequate publicinvestment, outdated curricula andinadequate focus on teacherstraining as few of the things thatneed immediate attention. DrJadhav then went on to describesome of the initiatives that UoP isaddressing to. He said that today

UoP is having the largest number ofstudents which includes largestnumber of foreign students, besidesa number of affiliated institutes andcolleges. He further informed thatthe university is establishing a tripleconnectivity comprising audio, videoand sound between university andaffiliated colleges, at par with thebest in the world. The university hasplans to develop the personalities ofthe students by improving theircommunication and other soft skills.This project will be launched at

Dr Narendra Jadhav, delivering the CSIR Foundation Day Lecture at NCL

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur

At NEERI, Minister of State(Independent Charge) of New andRenewable Energy, Shri VilasMuttemwar, was the Chief Guest onthis occasion.

Addressing the audience, ShriMuttemwar said that his ministrywould provide liberal financialsupport to R&D projects beingundertaken in the field of new andrenewable energy. Quoting some ofthe contributions made by NEERI,Shri Muttemwar said that these

significant contributions have beeninstrumental in the development ofNagpur. He said that urbanamenities and civic infrastructure ofNagpur have undergonetremendous transformation in ashort period of time. This would nothave been possible without theactive participation of NEERI invarious critical projects of urbanimprovement, improvement indrinking water quality, andmonitoring of air quality and sewage

disposal. Shri Muttemwar assuredthat Jawaharlal Nehru UrbanRenewable Mission would bringhuge financial resource forimprovement of Nagpur in terms ofinfrastructure and environment. Heurged the NEERI scientists to thinkglobally on R&D front, but actlocally and involve themselves invarious development challengesbeing faced by Nagpur.

Shri Muttemwar further saidthat his ministry is keen to support


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Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) of New and Renewable EnergyShri Vilas Muttemwar unveil the cornerstone of Sophisticated Environmental Analytical

Instrumentation Centre (SEAIC) at NEERI

fossil fuel based power. Wind energy,small hydro power and bio powerhave great potential to meet theenergy needs in the remote ruralareas for lighting and cooking. Theserenewable sources can be helpfuleven in urban, industrial andcommercial application, he added.He informed that the renewablepower from wind, biomass and smallhydro power has crossed 10500 MW,which is 7.75% of our total installedpower generation capacity from allsources. The 25% increase in thecapacity as indicated in the TenthFive Year Plan has come fromrenewable sources, he added. Thewind power contributes 7200 MW;small hydro, 200 MW and bio powergives 1300 MW. India ranks fourthin wind power generation in theworld despite low to moderate windregimes in the country. Our windpower utilization is 16%, while inUnited States it is 1% and in Europeit is less than 2%. At the current rateof renewable energy capacityaddition, around 10% of installedcapacity would come fromrenewable energy sources by 2012and would reach up to 80000 MWin 2032, Shri Muttemwar predicted.

Shri Muttemwar emphasizedthat there is a need to promote newand renewable energy not only forenergy security but also to mitigatethe impacts likely to occur due toglobal warming and climate change.He, therefore, urged thetechnologists to accept the challengeof energy security and climatechange as an opportunity.

Shri Muttemwar also laid thefoundation stone of SophisticatedEnvironmental AnalyticalInstrumentation Centre (SEAIC) at

NEERI. The cornerstone of theCentre was also unveiled at thehands of Shri Muttemwar. SEAICis proposed to be established in30,000 sq. ft. area in the NEERIpremises, which will enhance thestrength and capability of theinstitute.

Shri Vilas Muttemwar releasedthe NEERI Annual Report 2006-07and an audio-visual CD on NEERI.This audio-visual entitled “NEERITowards Sustainable Development”was screened before the gatheringof scientists, local academicians,school teachers and students. Onthis occasion, mementoes werepresented to NEERI employeeswho had completed 25 years ofservice in CSIR and retired duringthe previous year.

Earlier, in his welcome address,Dr Sukumar Devotta, Director,NEERI, said that carbon is an

important element for Indianeconomy as India is the secondlargest consumer of coal for itsenergy needs. Dr Devotta remarkedthat this carbon dependence couldbe reduced with the help ofrenewable energy. He informed thatNEERI has taken up severalprojects in this direction, such asgeneration of energy from solidwaste and microbial hydrogen, toreduce carbon dependence. He alsothrew light on other mega projectsof the institute, i.e. environmentalimpact assessment of Kalpasarproject and collaboration withWHO, UNICEF, World Bank, etc.Dr Devotta said that there is theneed to educate all the stakeholdersin producing clean energy.

The programme concluded withthe vote of thanks proposed by DrT. Chakrabarti, Director GradeScientist, NEERI.


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North East Institute of Science & Technology (NEIST), Jorhat

The Foundation DayCelebration at NEIST was attendedby a large number of invited guests,dignitaries, students, teachers,prominent citizens of the town,members of press and media besidesthe scientific community of thelaboratory. Prof. R. Natarajan,former Chairman, AICTE andformer Director of IIT, Madras, wasthe Chief Guest and delivered theFoundation Day Lecture. Dr P. G.Rao, Director, NEIST, delivered thewelcome address. In his address, DrRao, briefly spoke about thecontributions made by CSIR overthe years for the economic andsocietal development of the countryand mentioned that CSIR has justcompleted the 10th Five Year Planand is currently preparing the 11thPlan with its mission to furtherdevelop the scientific andtechnological base of the country.CSIR today pervades all aspects ofhuman life with the range ofproducts it has developed over the

years from the nutritious ‘Amul’ tothe vital life saving drugs and thisshows the worthiness, relevance andversatility of the organization, heremarked.

Delivering the Foundation DayLecture on ‘The Significance ofInnovation for Technology and BusinessCompetitiveness, Prof. Natarajan said,“Business competitiveness provides thebusiness advantages and innovationacts as a strong determinant for aknowledge economy and knowledgesociety — a society which usesknowledge as a powerful tool forsocietal transformations. So,innovation is the most importantissue. Innovation can be defined inmany different ways. But in themost simplistic form it can beregarded as a creative idea toimplement solutions to the societalproblems. While talent is the heartof innovation, the ingredients forinnnovation are primarily theindustry, the community and theuniversity; the universities can be

considered as the bedrocks ofinnovations, he said. Innovationdoes not consider individual, rathercreates environment that fosterinventions, the environment underwhich the creative skills of individualbecome more creative’. Hementioned that the university andthe industry, which breedentrepreneurship, are havingdifferent cultures of their own. Butit is very vital to bring the twotogether and innovation is the onlyway which can bring them together.Because, innovation is the art ofcreating new products, processes,etc. and the entrepreneurship is theart of carrying innovation to marketin commercial manner, he explained.

Prof. Natarajan wishedFoundation Day greetings to all andmentioned that CSIR labs are thenumber one in the country in termsof patent filing and R&D outputsand expressed his happiness forbeing associated with the historiccelebration.

National Institute of Science Communication and InformationResources (NISCAIR), New Delhi

At NISCAIR, Dr S. Ahmad,Vice-Chancellor, HamdardUniversity, New Delhi, and formerDirector of Central ElectronicsEngineering Research Institute,Pilani, delivered the CSIRFoundation Day Lecture. Lauding


summed up the progress made bythe institute during the past one year.The coordinator of the celebrationShri Prakash Chand highlighted theactivities of NISCAIR. Shri PradipBanerjee, Scientist F, NISCAIR,proposed a vote of thanks.

the programmes of NISCAIR, DrAhmad mentioned that NISCAIRand Hamdard University couldcollaborate in some of the activities.

Shri S.K. Rastogi, ActingDirector, NISCAIR, welcomed theChief Guest and others present and

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