The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is the largest research and development (R&D) organisation in India, established in September 1942. Its headquarters are based in New Delhi. Funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, CSIR is an autonomous body operating under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
CSIR boasts a network of 37 national laboratories, 39 outreach centres, 3 Innovation Complexes and 5 units, spanning across the country. The council tackles a broad spectrum of fields including radio and space physics, oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering, and information technology. It aims to bring about technological interventions that address societal needs concerning the environment, health, drinking water, food, housing, energy, and both farm and non-farm sectors.
CSIR’s Organisational Structure
The President of CSIR is the Prime Minister of India, acting in an ex-officio capacity. Similarly, Union Minister of Science and Technology serves as the ex-officio Vice President. The governing body is headed by the Director-General, with the finance secretary (expenditures) serving as the other ex-officio member. Members of the governing body serve terms of three years.
The CSIR Advisory Board, composed of 15 members who are prominent individuals from respective fields of science and technology, provides input to the governing body. The members also serve terms of three years.
Objectives and Activities of the CSIR
CSIR’s overriding objectives focus on scientific and industrial/applied research that is of national importance. The council promotes, guides, and coordinates scientific and industrial research in India and supports the establishment and award of research studentships and fellowships.
The council ensures the utilisation of research outcomes for the development of industries in the country. This includes the establishment, maintenance, and management of laboratories, workshops, institutions, and organisations that further scientific and industrial research. CSIR prioritises the collection and dissemination of information relating to research and industrial matters generally and also oversees the publication of scientific papers and a journal of industrial research and development.
CSIR’s Key Achievements in Various Sectors
Strategic Sector: CSIR has contributed to the invention of the Indigenous – Innovative –Cost-effective visibility measuring system called Drishti transmissometer and Head-Up-Display (HUD) for Indian Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, among other developments.
Energy & Environment: The Solar Tree and Lithium-Ion Battery are notable achievements by CSIR labs, contributing to clean energy production and high-end applications respectively.
Agriculture: CSIR has developed bacterial blight-resistant Samba Mahsuri variety rice, a rice variety that restricts arsenic assimilation, and a cotton variety resistant to whiteflies.
Healthcare: CSIR has developed a vaccine for Johne’s disease affecting farm animals, a diagnostic kit for premature births and sepsis-related deaths, and a programme named GOMED for enabling medical decision-making based on genomics.
Food & Nutrition: The Ksheer-scanner and Double-Fortified Salt were developed by CSIR to monitor milk adulteration and to combat anaemia respectively.
Water, Waste to Wealth, Aviation: CSIR has made major strides in mapping water-scarce areas, converting industrial waste into non-toxic radiation shielding materials, developing a process to convert plastic waste into fuel, and designing and testing India’s first indigenous civilian aircraft.
Traditional Knowledge Digital Library: CSIR established the world’s first Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, making traditional knowledge accessible in five international languages. They have also used this knowledge to successfully challenge patents granted for the use of Haldi (turmeric) and neem in the USA.
Genome sequencing: In 2009, CSIR completed the sequencing of the Human Genome.
Computing: Flosolver, India’s first parallel computer, was developed by CSIR in 1986 and has paved the way for further advancements in parallel computing in the country.
CSIR and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize is an annual prize awarded for notable and outstanding research in various fields of science and technology. It is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.