The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) celebrated the International Women’s Day 2023 on 9 March 2023 at the CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi. The celebration was graced by Hon’ble S&T Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh as Chief Guest along with his wife Mrs Manju Singh. Ms Nivruti Rai, Country Head, Intel India was the Guest of Honour. Prof. Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), GoI, also graced the occasion. 

Welcoming the gathering, Dr N Kalaiselvi, DG-CSIR and Secretary DSIR, GoI, proudly mentioned that, “CSIR is an organisation where out of 37 labs, six labs have women Directors and in Delhi itself, the CSIR Headquarters has eight women leaders as heads of various departments.” Recalling this year’s theme #Embrace Equity, she said that it is not equality, it is equity because equality can be the destination where equity should be the medium to reach equality.

Hon’ble Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in his address mentioned that over the years women have achieved great heights and will continue to do so in the future also. Highlighting various initiatives, he added that the government is committed to providing equal opportunities for women in all fields and will continue to strive for gender equality. He congratulated the CSIR family for their efforts and motivated them to keep up the good work.

During the programme, Dr Jitendra also launched an exclusive women's portal for research grants and funds — CSIR-ASPIRE (CSIR-A Special Call for Research Grants for Women Scientists).

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Ajay K Sood mentioned that this theme Embrace Equity is very crucial as we move towards a technologically advanced society. He said that in this modern era, technology plays a vital role in transforming women’s life, enhancing access to digital tools and enabling their participation in the workforce, education and community engagement. However, we note that women still face significant barriers in accessing and utilising resources and this creates a further gender divide in a digital world that must be addressed. We must create an inclusive environment that supports women in the S&T sector, encouraging women entrepreneurs and technologists to develop their skills and contribute to industry and society.

Ms Nivruti Rai in her presentation, “Breaking Barrier: Advancing Women in S&T”, shared her experiences and discussed advancing the role of women in S&T, breaking barriers at every stage of the work life. The woman is at crossroads where the contribution of women to innovation in critical and emerging technologies will define the future, she said.

Concluding the programme, Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal, Director, CSIR-NIScPR (CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research), New Delhi, presented the vote of thanks.