The CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), New Delhi, celebrated the inauguration of its main gate at its Pusa Campus on 21 March 2024. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary of DSIR, inaugurated the ceremony.

In her welcome address, Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal, Director, CSIR-NIScPR, discussed the various recent initiatives of the institute, saying, “The CSIR-NIScPR has taken up a number of initiatives in recent times. Establishing the Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) was a pivotal step towards streamlining the dissemination of R&D breakthroughs across Indian labs. Creating a single window for this purpose was crucial, and SMCC has excelled in fulfilling this role. National Knowledge Resource Consortium and SVASTIK are other very promising initiatives of the institute.”

Highlighting the achievements of the institute, Dr Kalaiselvi said, “CSIR-NIScPR is fostering connectivity among all labs, spearheading the efforts of its SMCC. As a testament to its success, S&T column will now be prominently featured in the Employment News (a popular publication of the Ministry of I&B), marking a significant milestone in the dissemination of science towards the public, especially youth. By engaging with our S&T column in the Employment News, job seekers can also become job creators in the days to come.”

Dr Kalaiselvi further added that “Utilising a comprehensive array of tools and cutting-edge data technologies, CSIR-NIScPR is poised to develop innovative software solutions or transformative tools, facilitating efficient communication and collaboration across scientific domains while advancing research dissemination and outreach efforts.”

Concluding the inaugural ceremony, Dr Sujit Bhattacharya, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR, presented the vote of thanks.

On the same day, the institute hosted the monitoring committee to communicate India’s scientifically validated traditional knowledge to society, branded SVASTIK (Scientifically Validated Societal Traditional Knowledge). Dr N Kalaiselvi chaired the meeting.

Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal welcomed the experts and delivered her introductory remarks on SVASTIK activities. Eminent experts, including Dr A Raghu, Deputy Director General Health Services, Ministry of AYUSH; Dr Subhasis Chaudhari, Director, IIT Bombay; Dr Anita Aggarwal, Head SEED and State S&T Programme, DST; Dr Anil Kumar, ADG, Coordination ICAR; attended the meeting.

Coordinator SVASTIK Dr Charu Lata, gave a detailed update on SVASTIK activities and its digital footprint through her presentation. During the meeting, the second volume of the book SVASTIK Stories: Indian Traditional Knowledge through the Lens of Science, and a special issue of the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge on Communication & Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge were also released.

Members of the monitoring committee appreciated the initiatives and suggested measures for communicating and disseminating Indian traditional knowledge across various domains. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks by Dr Paramananda Barman, Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR.