The CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) in New Delhi organised a two-day international conference on 14 & 15 January 2025. The theme of the conference was "Aligning Science-Technology-Innovation (STI) Indicators for Effective R&D Governance" (STIiG-2025). This event coincided with the celebration of the institute’s 4th Foundation Day.
Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal, Director, CSIR-NIScPR, during her inaugural address, gave an overview of the conference and highlighted the significance of the foundation day of NIScPR. She elucidated the history of NIScPR, which was formed four years ago after the merging of CSIR-NISTAD and CSIR-NISCAIR, boasting a combined legacy of more than 100 years. Prof. Aggarwal mentioned CSIR-NIScPR as the youngest and one of the most dynamic labs of CSIR & its role as a think tank of Science communication and STI policy research. She also discussed the divisions and missions of CSIR-NIScPR like SVASTIK, TRL, NETRA, creating livelihood opportunities in rural areas, ISSN, journals, etc. She also remembered the role of Prof. Ashutosh Sharma while he was secretary of DST in 2020 in formulating STI policy around the country.
The Guest of Honour, Dr Suman Kumari Mishra, Former Director, CSIR-CGCRI, Kolkata and Adjunct Professor, IIT Ropar, in her address, thanked the NIScPR family for organising a conference on this important topic of Science Technology Innovation (STI) indicators. She also highlighted the role of NIScPR in societal development in S&T and memorised the role of NIScPR’s popular science magazines, Vigyan Pragati and Science Reporter, in disseminating science information to the public for decades. She also said, “We have ample room for innovation, and scientists are willing to take risks”.
Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, Research and Information System (RIS) for Developing Countries and Guest of Honour in the inaugural session of the conference, presented “Foundation Day Lecture” under the theme “Reimagining Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators: Towards Development Agenda for Viksit Bharat at 2047”. He said that the world is changing, and new development priorities and targets are essential, so we must prepare for STI globalisation. He also emphasised the role of Inclusion and Sustainability as key R&D indicators. Along with many aspects of STI, he said that the role of ethics, sustainable development goals, green growth, MSME connectivity, wellbeing-related parameters, qualitative parameters and others should be included in indicators.
Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, President, INSA, Institute Chair Professor & CV Seshadri Chair Professor, IIT Kanpur, and the Chief Guest of the conference during his address, said that NIScPR’s years of expertise have yielded excellent results in science communication and policy research. We need knowledge that impacts society through STI, and it is not just about new technologies but about cultural behaviour towards science in society. Therefore, we require indicators to address this too. He added that the impact of AI and newer technologies is essential for the future, and in this regard, he highlighted the example of various multi-billion industries that failed because they could not catch up with the advances of science like digital photography and personal computing. He also put a key emphasis on the translation of knowledge and wisdom into monetary terms or wealth and thus asked to add this parameter as an important indicator of evaluation.
After the insightful addresses, the dignitaries on the dais released the conference souvenir, three books, one special issue of the Science Diplomacy newsletter and a special issue of the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, all published by NIScPR. During the closing remarks of the inaugural address, Shri Mukesh Pund, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR and Co-Chairperson, STIiG 2025, thanked all the participants, Prof. Sujit Bhattacharya, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR & Chairperson, STIiG 2025 and other team members of the core organising team to make this event happen successfully.
As a memoir, tree plantation under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative was also organised in which national and international experts planted trees on the CSIR-NIScPR campus.
There were eight sessions on day one and seven sessions on day two of the conference, some of which were parallelly organised, including talks, panel discussions, paper presentations, etc.
CSIR-NIScPR successfully concluded its two-day international conference, STIiG-2025, commemorating its 4th Foundation Day. During the valedictory session, Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal said that the STI ecosystem in India is currently thriving. The UGC CARE list is being revised to improve the quality of journals. India has seen significant growth in patents, and the country ranks third in startups globally. The STI system policy is based on inputs from experts across the board, and there is a growing emphasis on evaluating social media. The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) is a remarkable initiative, but there is still a need for open access. In fact, 15 Indian journals with a legacy of 70 years offer green and platinum access, setting a precedent for international journals to follow. To drive future progress, conferences like this facilitate networking and cooperation.
The conference concluded with a valedictory address by Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta, Director of CSIR-NPL. He emphasised a call to make open-access journals the norm, eliminating the need for payment to access or publish research. Additionally, there is a recognition that better metrics are needed beyond the traditional impact factor issue.
Prof. Sujit Bhattacharya, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR, summarised the key takeaways, outlining the way forward. Dr Naresh Kumar, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR, expressed gratitude to all participants, the sub-committees, and the heads of all divisions with a vote of thanks.
