The celebrations included various events — Foundation Day Lecture, Technical Sessions, Presentation of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prizes, Mega Expo, the culmination of “One Week, One Lab” initiative, etc.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Minister of State for Science and Technology & Vice President, CSIR, graced the celebrations as Chief Guest on 26 September 2023. Mr S Somanath, Secretary, Department of Space & Chairman, ISRO, delivered the Foundation Day Lecture. Besides, the mega expo on "CSIR Decadal Achievements: 2014-2023" was also organised where CSIR labs showcased their products, technologies and R&D through attractive posters and exhibits. Dr VK Saraswat, Member (Science) Niti Aayog & Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to GoI, inaugurated the exhibition and the “CSIR Industry Meet: Technical session”.
The Plenary Session was conducted at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan. During the session, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi extended his heartfelt congratulations to all the SSB awardees via a message. He also conveyed his greetings and best wishes to everyone associated with CSIR for the success of the 82nd CSIR Foundation Day. He highlighted the significance of the 82nd Foundation Day for CSIR, especially after the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, for which CSIR was one of the organisations that made significant contributions. He added that the efforts of our space and science ecosystem have demonstrated that we can achieve anything we set our minds to.
The Prime Minister also emphasised that the government supports scientists by providing adequate resources and creating a favourable research ecosystem to facilitate scientific advancement. He also acknowledged the nation’s scientific temper and unlimited potential to work for the global good, especially during the pandemic. Mentioning CSIR’s Mega Exhibition showcasing technological advancements of the last decade, the Hon’ble Prime Minister added that the exhibition will be inspiring and informative for everyone.
The Hon’ble Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, praised CSIR for pioneering initiatives such as the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Mission, Hydrogen Technology Mission, and the Mission-mode project on Sickle Cell Anaemia. He also appreciated newer initiatives like the Phytopharmaceutical Mission, the Antiviral Mission, and the Mission for Recycling Li-Ion batteries.
Dr Jitendra Singh emphasised the importance of the "One Week, One Lab" initiative, which gave the general public a glimpse into the capabilities of the CSIR labs. This initiative helped create awareness about the labs' latest technological advancements and innovative work. It benefitted various stakeholders, including industries, government departments, small businesses, startups, researchers, students, and teachers. By showcasing these labs’ work, more people learned about their contributions in the country’s scientific progress and development.
Addressing the gathering, Dr N Kalaiselvi said, “Without enlarging the canvas of the vision of any organisation, one cannot paint the big picture of Bharat in the global arena. Therefore, we are fully getting geared up to enlarge the canvas of our vision, and we will be coming up with a big plan in the name of CSIR, which is nothing but CSIR celebrating its 100th year of establishment in 2042.”
In his address, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood said that CSIR is on the path to the next phase. Talking about the rationalisation of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards and other Science Awards, he informed that from next year, we will have Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards, Vigyan Shri Awards, Ratna Awards and Vigyan Team Awards. All awards will be national-level awards, he added.
Mr S Somanath delivered a lecture on “Technologies for Societal & Industrial Application — ISRO Case Studies” and thanked CSIR for providing excellent support.
The prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards were also presented to the winners during the programme.
Concluding the event, Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam, Head, CSIR-HRDG, proposed the vote of thanks.
