CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research (CSIR-CGCRI), Kolkata, observed National Technology Day 2024 (NTD 2024) on 14 May 2024. Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences, graced the event as the Chief Guest. He also delivered the National Technology Day Distinguished Lecture entitled “Technology for Earth Observation”.
At the beginning of the event, Dr (Mrs) Suman Kumari Mishra, Director CSIR-CGCRI, presented an overview of the institute’s R&D and technology attainments. She highlighted the institute’s recent engagement with various project proposals from the Ministry of Earth Science.
During his lecture, Dr Ravichandran elaborated on the key niche held by the world’s oceans, particularly in their role in providing food, regulating climate, and acting as the biggest carbon sink on Earth. He especially highlighted the uniqueness of the Indian Ocean, as it represented the only major ocean completely bounded by land in the north, dramatically influencing the wind and ocean current patterns. He touched upon the socio-economic benefits of the oceans (including tourism, transport, etc.), and the vast diversity of ocean resources — both living and non-living constituents; and stressed upon the needs of ocean conservation and coast protection/restoration for future generations. He very elegantly summed up the storyline by stating that an ocean of opportunities and challenges needed to be leveraged and addressed.
The presentation delved into the state of various in-situ ocean observation technologies — including platforms, sensors, and vehicles — geared towards studying the oceans, with a special emphasis on the Indian Ocean. It also highlighted how ocean observation technologies have evolved and the current methodologies being followed. He felt these could effectively align with research institutes’ scientific priorities and capabilities to formulate and work on various projects. At the end, he also provided a brief overview of the Deep Ocean Mission, with its objectives and anticipated outcomes.
Dr Ravichandran interacted with various students and scientists at the institute and visited several labs and research facilities. He also paid a visit to the institute Archive & Museum to have a glimpse of institutional history.
