Find solutions to problems affecting industry and society, CSIR director general tells scientists

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, on Monday urged young scientists to ‘‘adopt’‘ an industry or societal problem and work on it to identify a solution.

Dr. Kalaiselvi was speaking after inaugurating the ‘One Week One Lab’ (OWOL) programme at the National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST). NIIST scientists should start thinking in this direction during the six-day OWOL programme, she said.

Each scientist should select a problem in his/her area of interest and attempt to find the solution in a maximum of two-three years, she said.

CSIR was established to cater to the requirements of Indian industries. At the end of the day, science should reach the common man in terms of domestic, strategic, and societal applications and market-driven requirements, she said. The next 25 years will prove critical for India, particularly in the realm of science and technology, Dr. Kalaiselvi said. Success would be determined by what the Indian youth does during this period.

Three technologies developed by NIIST were transferred to the industry in the presence of the CSIR Director General. They consisted of an innovative technology for manufacturing vegan leather from agro-residues, an Aluminium Silicon Carbide composite thermal management component handed over to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for use in fighter planes, and a technology for disinfection and immobilisation of pathogenic biomedical waste into soil additives.

CSIR-NIIST Research Council Chairman Javed Iqbal, CSIR-NIIST Director C. Anandharamakrishnan and Chief Scientist Nishy P. spoke. A Start-up Conclave also was organised on Monday. Dr. Iqbal urged the scientific community to develop products that can emerge as household names globally. Collective effort, as opposed to working in silos, is key to achieving this aim, he said.