Ne - NISCAIR Nagpur. CSIR-NEERI RC and project team members at the reactor site CSIR News DECEMBER 2014 267 Tannery waste, if left unattended, can have disastrous impact on the environment

Volume 64 No. 23 & 24 December 2014website: http://www.csir.res.in

I n T h i s I s s u e

ISSN 0409-7467

Newsletter of the CouNCil of sCieNtifiC & iNdustrial researCh

CONTRIBUTING to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s mission of “Make in India”, the CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, has developed a a small range (11.2 hp) diesel engine tractor, KrishiShakti, to empower Indian farmers with small land holdings. The tractor was launched recently by Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and VP, CSIR, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. He handed over five tractors to the farmers.

In The News

CSIR-CMERI’s Small-range Tractor KrishiShakti Launched by S&T Minister

273

265 In The News• CSIR-CMERI’s

Small-range Tractor KrishiShakti Launched by S&T Minister

• CSIR-NEERI Installs Waste-to-Biofuel Reactor at Go-Vigyan Kendra

• CSIR-CLRI Scientists Develop Technology to make High-grade Gelatine from Waste

Training Programmes277Symposia/Workshops274

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said: “The development has bridged a long felt technology gap. There is a need to develop agriculture implements that suit Indian agro-climates and are energy efficient, while at the same time removing farmers’ drudgery.”

267 R&D Highlights• Cement-free Plaster Developed from Fluorogypsum by CSIR-CBRI• Study of Impact Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Elements at CSIR-CBRI • High Power RF Couplers being developed at CSIR-CEERI• Thermo-Acoustic Power Generator Developed at CSIR-CEERI

MoUs

Visits280Honours & Awards284Obituary287Announcements288

CSIR News

CSIR NewsDECEMBER 2014266

In The NewsThe new tractor would be a boon for

Indian farmers possessing small landholdings. The average land holding of thesmall Indian farmer normally does notexceed even 1 hectare. Therefore, for theaverage Indian farmer mechanized farmingutilizing standard tractors of 35 hp andabove ratings is beyond their reach.

CSIR-CMERI’s latest offering in theform of the small, compact and easilymaneuverable tractor is deemed fit for smalland fragmented land holdings. KrishiShaktiis the latest in the legacy of CSIRinterventions in enabling mechanized

agriculture and empowering the smallfarmers. Besides, the small tractor and itsmatching implements are based on theavailable diesel engine and tractor parts inthe market.

The KrishiShakti has already receivedCMVR Certification as an Agricultural WheeledTractor after rigorous trials and testing.The technology of KrishiShakti has beentransferred to M/s Singha Components Pvt.Ltd., Howrah, West Bengal, who revealedthat they have already started receivingorders from Bangladesh, Bhutan andSouth Africa.

CSIR-National Environmental EngineeringResearch Institute (CSIR-NEERI) hasundertaken a project to produce biofuel frommunicipal solid waste, including vegetablewaste and food waste, under the 12th FiveYear Plan.

In the first phase of the project, a baffledplug-flow reactor and mesophilic-thermophilic two-stage reactor have beendesigned and operated for management ofvarious organic fractions of municipal solidwaste including food waste, kitchen waste,

CSIR-NEERI Installs Waste-to-BiofuelReactor at Go-Vigyan Kendra

vegetable market waste, etc.One such reactor design hasbeen scaled up to pilot levelfor producing biogas fromfood waste (up to 100 kg), andset-up at Go-VigyanAnusandhan Kendra, Deolapar,in collaboration with LienFoundation EnvironmentalEndeavour 2–NanyangTechno-logical University(NTU), Singapore, to providebenefits of the biogasproduced to economicallyunderprivileged communitiesand ensure their participationin solid waste management.

Prof. Kasturi Datta,Chairperson, CSIR-NEERI

Research Council (RC), members of CSIR-NEERI Research Council and Dr. Satish R.Wate, Director, CSIR-NEERI visited thereactor site and expressed satisfaction overfunctioning of the reactor.

The ‘waste to biofuel’ project at CSIR-NEERI will be instrumental in providingsuitable decentralized technological optionsfor municipal solid waste management in bigcolonies, residential societies, hotels,community centers, vegetable markets, in andaround Nagpur.

CSIR-NEERI RC and project teammembers at the reactor site

CSIR NewsDECEMBER 2014 267

Tannery waste, if left unattended, can havedisastrous impact on the environment. Now,scientists at the CSIR-Central LeatherResearch Institute (CLRI) in Chennai havedeveloped a technology to make high-gradegelatine from tannery waste.

Gelatine finds widespread use in thepharmaceutical and food industries. It isusually made from collagen extracted fromanimal bones and pig skins. With the newCSIR-CLRI technology, scientists havesuccessfully produced gelatine from collagenprotein from skin and hide remains.

CSIR-CLRI Scientists Develop Technology tomake High-grade Gelatine from Waste

Energy-efficient, low-cost, high-strength,cement-free plaster has been developed fromfluorogypsum for use in external and internalsurfaces, masonry works, light weightgypsum blocks and prefabricated panels.

Fluorogypsum, a by-product of thehydrofluoric acid industry, is available inanhydrite form of gypsum. It does not setand harden due to close packing of Ca2+ andSO4

2- ions in the structure. It is thereforeessential to activate its hydration behaviorby using chemical activators. After suitabletreatment and activation of fluorogypsumwith chemical activators comprising ofsulphates of alkali/alkaline earths,h i g h - s t r e n g t hgypsum cementwith fast setting,low waterabsorption andporosity has beenproduced. Theproperties of thematerial complywith the

R&D Highlights

Cement-free Plaster Developed fromFluorogypsum by CSIR-CBRI

requirements of ASTM C-61-50.The phases responsible for strength

development of the gypsum cement werestudied by differential thermal analysis (DTA)and scanning electron microscope (SEM).The gypsum cement is found suitable foruse in plastering, light-weight blocks andprefabricated panels.

Masonry WorksSince the construction industry is facing ascarcity of source materials i.e. sand, acomparative study has been made byreplacing sand with stone dust and fly ash.

Properties

Setting Time (min) — Initial : 45Final : 98

Compressive strength: 35 MPa Flexural strength: 6.0 MPa Thermal Conductivity: 0.19 W/mK Water absorption: 5 % & Porosity :10% Possesses fire resistance & good acoustic properties

Gelatine finds

widespread use in

the pharmaceutical

and food industries.

It is usually made

from collagen

extracted from

animal bones and

pig skins. With the

new CSIR-CLRI

technology,

scientists have

successfully

produced gelatine

from collagen

protein from skin

and hide remains.

To produce industrial gelatine, solidwaste from tanneries has to be processedand cooked for long hours. This processhowever yields gelatine of low value. TheCSIR-CLRI scientists hydrolysed orprocessed it in a controlled manner to obtaingelatine of high gel strength required forcapsule making. With one ton of animal skinprocessed for leather manufacture, therewould be 50 kg of trimming waste, fromwhich 10 kg of gelatine can be made.

The Institute is in the process ofpatenting the technology that could be asuccessful alternative to make gelatine.


R&D Highlights

The properties of masonry mortars preparedfrom the gypsum cement and differentaggregates are given in Table 1. It wasobserved that after 24 hours of applicationon brick wall, the plaster patches developedadequate strength and hardness which furthercontinued.

Light-weight gypsum blocksThe light-weight gypsum blocks (150 x 150x 150 mm) were prepared by using air-entraining agent (<0.3%). These blockspossess compressive strength 5.6 MPa; bulk

density 1200 kg/m3 and water absorption16.3% and fulfilled the requirements ofIndian Standards.

Prefabricated gypsum panelThe prefabricated panel of size 900 mm x300 mm x 135 mm has been prepared byvibration technique. The density of panel is1.08 g/cc. Other physical properties are tobe determined. Some typical photographs ofthe products are shown in Figure 1.

Mridul Garg and Team atCSIR-CBRI

Fig. 1: Photographs of productsprepared from gypsum cement(a) Plastering of gypsum cementwith stone dust (ratio: 1:1),(b) Plastering of gypsum cementwith fly ash (ratio: 1:0.5),(c) Light-weight blocks


Some reinforced concrete structures haveto be designed for impact loads, which mayresult from crashing of comparatively rigidheavy objects at low velocities, such asfalling rocks in mountain areas and fallingheavy loads dealt with in factories andwarehouses due to accidents, aircraft impacton nuclear containments, and vehicular impacton bridges.

Presently, most of these structures,except nuclear power plants, have beendesigned by statically surcharging themaximum impact forces following theallowable stress design concept and/or themaximum impact forces with a constructioncoefficient following the ultimate limit statedesign concept. Based on these designconcepts, the structural analysis resultsexhibit a high safety margin for the impactdesign event which has a low probability ofoccurrence.

Therefore, the safety level of suchstructures should be determined by meansof a more accurate evaluation of thecharacteristic impact-resistant capacity whichin turn requires study of impact behavior ofstructural components with focus onstructural response parameters such asdeflection, residual deflection, strains in steelreinforcement with acceptable degree ofaccuracy in a real impact event. This studybeing conducted at CSIR-CBRI hopes tocome up with performance-based impact-resistant design of reinforced concretebeams. The scope of the study:

• Experimental study of impact behaviorof RC elements (normal strengthconcrete) by drop-weight impact tests

• Prediction of impact behavior of RCelements by non-linear FEM analysis forgeneration of impact response data whichhas not been covered in experiments and

• Establishing relationship between impactenergy, static flexural capacity, maximum

Study of Impact Behaviour ofReinforced Concrete Elements at CSIR-CBRI

deflection and residual deflection for RCBeams for PBD.An instrumented impact loading test

setup for dropping the weight at variableheight up to 2.5 meter and recording theimpact event (deflection, support reaction andstrains vs. time) has been designed. Aspecially designed support system (Fig. 1a)for loading the beam and installing the straingauge based load cell has been fabricated.The impact loading system with the datalogger and with the beam instrumented forperforming the drop weight experiment isshown in Fig. 1b.

As shown in Figure 1b, the 100-kg weightis attached with an electromagnet, which inturn is connected to an electric wire hoistinstalled on top of a steel portal frame. Withhelp of an electric wire hoist the weight can

Fig.1: (a) Support system to support beam andload cell (b) Experimental Setup

(a)

(b)


R&D Highlightsbe raised to a desired height (0-2.5 m) andcan be released with the electromagnet. Inorder to restrict the lateral movement of theelectrical wire hoist a guiding cage ofdiameter 500 mm has been used to raise thehammer just above the test specimen. Thedrop hammer is cylindrical in geometry witha diameter of 360 mm and a depth of 145mm. The striking surface of the hammer isof hemispherical type with a diameter of 90mm and height of 10 mm. Two guiding railsare used near the test specimen to ensureproper fall on the specimen, and that afterrebounding the hammer does not damage thesurrounding, by falling back on the specimen.

The Deflection of the specimen ismeasured with strain gauge based dial gauge,which is kept just below the mid-span of thebeam. The maximum deflection which canbe measured by the electronic dial gauge usedis 40 mm.The experimental setup included 2load cells of capacity 500 kN capacity tomeasure the reaction force. The sensors areconnected with a Data Acquisition systemfrom National Instruments, consisting of anIBM computer, National Instruments PCIacquisition card and LABVIEW VI softwarewith trigger function which had 8 LVDTchannels, 4 accelerometer channels and 16slots for universal channels which supportstrain gauge, dial gauge and load cell.

The reactions forces for three beams ofA1 series (A1-1, A-12, A1-3) have beenanalyzed first. The reaction forces for beamA1-1 measured with Load cell installed atsupports (Left and Right) have beenconverted into kilo Newton unit and the sameare plotted with respect to time in Figure 2(a&b). As seen, the peak value for the leftand right supports are 41.8 kN and 54.8 kNrespectively.

The reaction values for other two beams(A1-2 and A1-3) are plotted in Figure 3 (a&b)and Figure 4 (a&b) respectively. The averageof peak reaction of the three cases (sixnumbers) are 43.2 MPa and coefficient ofvariation is 13.1%. The impulse (area of thereaction time curve) has been obtained forthe three beams of the first series and the

Fig.2: Reaction Force vs. Time for 1.5 k JouleIE (a) Sample A1- 1 L (b) Sample A1- 1 R

Fig.3: Reaction Force vs. time for 1.5 k Joule IE(a) Sample A1- 2 L (b) Sample A1-2 R


impulse value for the threecases are close, the averageimpulse being 0.16 kN sec andcoefficient of variation is 15%.

As seen from Figures 2,3 & 4, initially when the strikerstrikes the beam, immediatelyfor an instant the reaction isnegative showing downwarddirection, the negative value isa fraction of positive peak.The reason for the negativereaction is that in the beginningas the weight is dropped thereis tendency to uplift at thesupport which is resisted bythe clamping device.

A.K. Pandey atCSIR-CBRI

Fig.4: Reaction force vs. time for 1.5 K Joule IE(a) Sample A1-3 L (b) Sample A1-3 R

CSIR-CEERI, Pilani has taken up a projecton development of vacuum compatible RFcouplers under an MoU with DAE. Thecouplers are to be used for feeding RF powerto Low Energy High Intensity ProtonAccelerator (LEHIPA), which is underdevelopment at DAE. CSIR-CEERIdeveloped the uncooled and liquid cooledversions of the couplers.

The central and outer conductors of thecouplers were fabricated out of OFHCcopper while the coaxiality is maintained withthe help of high purity alumina ceramicbrazed to central and outer conductors. Theceramic disc provides isolation between ultrahigh vacuum in LEHIPA cavities andatmosphere. A stainless steel flange is usedto fix the coupler to LEHIPA cavity thatprovides a demountable joint. Two uncooledcouplers were delivered and are being used atDAE. The photograph of the coupler withceramic window is shown in Figure 1.

High Power RF Couplers beingdeveloped at CSIR-CEERI

Fig. 1: Uncooled coupler withits ceramic window

The couplers are to

be used for feeding

RF power to Low

Energy High

Intensity Proton

Accelerator

(LEHIPA), which is

under development

at DAE. CSIR-CEERI

developed the

uncooled and liquid

cooled versions of

the couplers.


R&D HighlightsIn case of the liquid cooled

coupler, the central conductor iscooled by passing liquid through itfrom a transverse arm. Here doubleceramic windows have been used.The RF power from the source iscoupled through a 6” coaxialtransmission line. The couplerreduces the line size to 15/8” througha tapered section, which then feeds

the power to LEHIPA with its centralconductor cooled with liquid. Thecoupler was delivered to DAE and itis in regular use. The schematicdiagram of liquid cooled section andphotograph of complete coupler areshown in Figures 2 & 3.

CSIR-CEERI, Chennai Centre has developeda laboratory prototype of thermo-acousticpower generator for the purpose ofexperimental studies. The prototypeconverts thermal energy intoelectrical energy through acousticenergy. The thermo-acoustic energyconversion provides an alternativetechnology for harnessing solarenergy especially in a decentralizedsetting.

Thermo-acoustic powergenerator can be driven by heatenergy derived from variousrenewable energy sources such assunlight, biogas, etc. The generator

Thermo-Acoustic Power Generator Developed atCSIR-CEERI

Fig. 1. Thermo-acoustic power generator

(Fig. 1) consists of a closed duct with a stackstructure containing a number of microchannels. When one end of the stack is

Fig. 2: Thermo-acoustic power generator prototypelighting up CSIR logo

heated, an intense sound is generated on theother end, which is suitably converted intoelectricity using a linear alternator.

The thermo-acoustic power generatorprototype (Fig. 2) fabricated at CSIR-CEERI,Chennai is presently powered by an electricalheater and is able to produce high intensity

Fig. 2: Schematic diagram of liquidcooled section

Fig. 3: Liquid cooled coupler

UnearAlternator

ElectricalPower

AcousticPower

Stack Resonator

Heat


sound waves of 150-160 dB (1.5kPa) (Fig. 3). This acoustic poweris converted into electrical powerusing a speaker operating inmicrophone mode.

This is one of the firstdemonstrations of powergeneration using thermo-acousticdesign. The system is presentlybeing optimised to operate with theheat produced from variousalternative renewable energysources.Fig. 3: Measured performance of thermo-acoustic

power generator prototype

CSIR-Central Mechanical EngineeringResearch Institute (CSIR-CMERI), Durgapurand the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd.(SCCL), Kothagudem, Telengana signed amemorandum of understanding (MOU) on29 September 2014 for scientific andtechnical guidance and other related R&Dactivities pertaining to Mining Machinery andMine Mechanization in all the 49 coal minesof SCCL.

In SCCL, the projected coal productionby the year 2016-17 is 57 Mt (million tonne)and by the end of 13th plan period i.e. 2021-22 is 63.10 Mt. Out of this, 60% is fromopencast and 40% from underground mines.At present SCCL is operating 34underground and 15 opencast (OC) minesin four districts of Telangana state. SCCL isproducing the major share of coal from OCmines of 79.10% and 20.9% fromunderground mines.

In OC mines HEMM (Heavy EarthMoving Machinery) plays a major role.Various equipments such as shovels up to15 m3 and dumpers up to 180 ton capacityand other ancillary equipment such as drillmachines, dozers, etc., are being used inunderground high capacity longwalls andcontinuous miners. This equipment requiresheavy and critical spare parts and maintenance.

MoUs

CSIR-CMERI signs MoU with SCCL

CSIR-CMERI has immense expertise inundertaking jobs such as planning/refiningof preventive maintenance, scheduledmaintenance, Non-Destructive Testing(NDT), designing and manufacturing ofspare-parts and other ancillary equipment.

The MoU between SCCL and CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur, was signed in in elevenpotential areas and the formal work wouldstart soon.

Dr. Pijush Pal Roy, Acting Director,CSIR-CMERI and Mr S.V.S.S.

Ramalingeswarudu, GM (R&D), SCCL duringsigning of MOU. Also seen are Mr GautamDhar, Advisor (Mining), SCCL and Mr Tapas

Sarkar, Head, RPBDG, CSIR-CMERI

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20Soun

d Pr

essu

re L

evel

(dB)

50 100 150 200 250 300 3500

0Applied Power (W)


Symposia & Workshops

CSIR-National Environmental EngineeringResearch Institute (CSIR-NEERI) organizeda two-day Symposium-cum-Workshop on‘Air Pollution Induced Health Effects, HealthRisk Assessment Software Development &Demonstration’ during 6-7 August 2014 inthe CSIR-NEERI Auditorium. The event wasinaugurated by Prof. P.K. Seth, CEO, BiotechPark, Lucknow; Dr. Kumara Vendan, GeneralManager, Sesa Sterlite & Vedanta Pvt. Ltd.,

Dr. P.K. Seth, CEO, Biotech Park,Lucknow inaugurating the symposium-cum-workshop

Symposia & WorkshopsSymposium-cum-Workshop on ‘Air Pollution-inducedHealth Effects, Health Risk Assessment SoftwareDevelopment & Demonstration’ at CSIR-NEERI

He emphasized on assessment ofenvironmental pollution exposure studies inhuman beings, which will be more effectivethan prevention and cure of diseases. Heexpressed satisfaction over the softwaredeveloped by CSIR-NEERI which canquantify human health risks and effects. Dr.Seth also stressed on the need for acomprehensive study on gene-environmentinteractions.

While addressing the participants on thetopic “Modelling of Health Impacts Due toClimate Change and Air Pollution”, Dr. T.Chakrabarti talked about the success storyof establishing a link between toxicity ofmanganese present in the environment andits impact on human health throughgenotoxicity studies. He also mentionedabout some specific statistical tools that areinstrumental to establish a link betweenclimate change and its impact on humanhealth. He informed that such studies werecarried out on some patients of the IndiraGandhi Medical College, Nagpur. Dr.Chakrabarti inferred that high temperature andincrease in environmental pollutants have animpact on the rate of hospital admissionsfor respiratory diseases.

Dr. Dhaliwal said that the Indian Councilof Medical Research (ICMR) has identifiedenvironmental health as a very importantarea. He said that the software developed byCSIR-NEERI will definitely help in policymaking with regard to prevention of airpollution and its impacts on human health.Citing an example of burning agriculturalresidues, Dr. Dhaliwal said that India needsto carry out health impact assessment studiesthrough modeling.

Dr. Kumara Vedan emphasized on theneed to further strengthen networking withresearches and industries in India.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr.Satish R. Wate, Director, CSIR-NEERIbriefed about the software developed by

Tuticorin; Dr. T. Chakrabarti, Chair Professor,VNIT, Nagpur, and Dr. R.S. Dhaliwal,Deputy Director General, ICMR. Dr. SatishR. Wate, Director, CSIR-NEERI and Dr. K.Krishnamurthi, Organizing Secretary werealso present on this occasion.

In his inaugural speech, Dr. P.K. Sethstated that many human diseases like cancer,diabetes, chronic lung disease, etc. are causedby environmental factors. About 1.7 milliondeaths take place due to diarrheal diseases,1.6 million people suffer from respiratorydiseases due to indoor air pollution and 8lakh due to air pollution, he informed. Dr.Seth said that making our environmenthealthier can prevent about 13 million deaths.


CSIR-NEERI, which is able to assess andquantify human health risk due to airpollution. He recalled that CSIR-NEERI wasestablished to work on issues related topublic health.

Dr. K. Krishnamurthi, OrganizingSecretary gave an overview of thesymposium-cum-workshop. The vote ofthanks was proposed by Dr. P.K. Naoghare,Scientist, CSIR-NEERI.

Three scientific sessions were organized

in the symposium-cum-workshop to addressvarious contemporary issues related to airquality monitoring and modeling,occupational health risk assessment,genotoxicity and allied issues to preventhealth impacts due to air pollution. TheCSIR-NEERI developed software, whichcan quantify health effects of air pollution,was also demonstrated during thesymposium-cum-workshop.

Under the CSIR-800 programme an “All IndiaFarmers Empowering Workshop” was heldat CFTRI, Mysore on 17 October 2014 incollaboration with the All India SugarcaneFarmers Association. The event wasorganized to empower the farmingcommunity across the nation for popularisingthe technologies developed by CFTRI.

A total of 120 farmers from various statesparticipated in the workshop. Technologiessuch as sugarcane juice, Virgin coconut oiland Daal milling were demonstrated in threebatches. Using CFTRI technology, sugar canejuice can be preserved up to four months inglass bottles. Similarly, Virgin coconut oil hasa characteristic flavor and high nutritionalvalue which could help the farmers explorenational and international markets. Daalmilling can help the farmers go in for efficientand quick milling.

All India Farmers Empowering Workshop atCSIR-CFTRI

On this occasion, asouvenir covering twentyof the selected techno-logies developed at CFTRIwas released. Details ofthe technologies weremade available in Kannada,Hindi and English toenable better under-standing for the farmers.

New varieties of Chia(CHIAmpion-B1 andCHIAmpion W-83) were

Release of the Workshop Souvenir (from left)Dr. Renu Agrawal, Chief Scientist &

CSIR-800 Coordinator; Dr. Vishakanta, MD,KAPPEC, Govt. of Karnataka;

Prof. Ram Rajasekharan, Director, CSIR-CFTRI;Shri Shanta Kumar, President, ISCFA, New Delhi

and Shri Somashekar, Joint Director,Dept. of Agriculture, Govt. of Karnataka

Participants of the All India Farmers Workshop duringan interactive session at CFTRI, Mysor


Symposia & Workshops

CSIR-CIMAP organized a Kisan Gosthi(Farmers’ Meet) on 17 November 2014 at itsResearch Centre, Purara located near Garur-Baijnath, district Bageshwar, Uttarakhand inwhich about 80 farmers hailing from differentdistricts of Uttarakhand participated.

CSIR-CIMAP organizes Farmers’ Meet inUttarakhand

Organised under the Rural DevelopmentProject of CSIR-CIMAP, the meet wassupported by the State Medicinal PlantsBoard (SMPB), Uttarakhand and UttarakhandCouncil of Science & Technology (UCOST).

Welcoming the farmers and guestsattending the meet, Prof. A.K. Tripathi,

Prof. A.K. Tripathi, Director, CSIR-CIMAPpresenting herbal products of CSIR-CIMAP

Prof. Tripathi planting a sapling of Taxus spp.

also released. Seeds of Chia and Quinoa weredistributed for farmers and the cultivationwas done at CSIR-CFTRI. The new varietycan help the farmers go in for alternativecrop farming and intercropping. The highyielding varieties are called “Super Foods”,as they are nutritious and important forcuring dietary disorders and combatingmalnutrition. Chia is rich in omega-3 fattyacids and Quinoa is rich in protein contentwhile both of them have high fibre, iron,magnesium and riboflavin.

The programme had dignitariesrepresenting different sectors such as Dr.Vishakanta, MD, Karnataka State AgriculturalProduce Processing and ExportCorporation Limited, Govt. of Karnataka;Mr Aravamudan, Joint Director, NABARD(Bangalore region) and Mr Shanta Kumar,President, Indian Sugarcane FarmersAssociation, New Delhi. Prof. RamRajasekharan, Director, CSIR-CFTRIpresided over the function and Dr. RenuAgrawal, Chief Scientist and CoordinatorCSIR-800 coordinated the programme.

Director, CSIR-CIMAP called upon thefarmers to adopt improved technologies andplant varieties of medicinal plants developedby CSIR-CIMAP for higher profit per unitarea and time. Prof. Tripathi said thatcultivation and value addition in medicinalplants have the potential for generation ofemployment opportunities in rural areas. Hefurther said that CIMAP has planned toorganize such meets and trainings for thefarmers of Uttarakhand at regular intervalswith the support of SMPB.

Prof. Tripathi also planted a sapling ofTaxus wallichiana in the campus of the centre.He also presented a kit containing the plantingmaterial of geranium and lemongrass to theparticipants.


Later in the technical session, Dr. V.K.S.Tomar, Senior Principal Scientist spoke aboutthe important medicinal and aromatic plantssuitable for cultivation in Uttarakhand. ShriAnand Singh Bist, Technical Officerexplained about the agro-technology ofRosemary while Er. Sudeep Tandon gave alecture on the distillation technology ofaromatic plants. There was a l ivedemonstration of making rose water fromrose petals and essential oil of lemongrass.Visit of the participating farmers to theexperimental fields was also arranged.

The farmers were also addressed by ShriLalit Farswan, MLA (Kapkot), Shri ChandanRam Das MLA (Garur), Dr. M.S. Gosainof SMPB, Dehradun, Dr. R.K. Yadav ofCAP, Dehradun, Dr. Uma of KVKGwaldam, Dr. I.D. Bhatt of GBPHIED,Kosi Katarmal, Mr Vinit Agarwal a Jari ButiTrader from Kanpur, Miss Bela Negi ofLeaf Bird Foundation, Mumbai besidesofficials from Agriculture Deptt. ofUttarakhand.

Other senior scientists from CSIR-CIMAP including Dr. J.R. Bahl, Dr. AlokKalra, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Dr. A.K. Mathur,Dr. L. Rahman, Dr. Rajesh Verma, Mr ManojSemwal, Dr. A.S. Negi, and Ex-Scientist andConsultant Dr. A.K. Singh also interactedwith the participants.

Prof. Tripathi presenting a kit of plantingmaterial of geranium and lemongrass to a

participant

CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute,Lucknow and The Indian Society forParasitology jointly organized the 25th NationalCongress of Parasitology on “GlobalChallenges in the Management of ParasiticDiseases” during 16-18 October 2014.

Director CSIR-CDRI, Dr. S.K. Puriwelcomed the guest and briefed about thethree-day National Congress of Parasitology.Padma Bhushan Dr. Vinod P. Sharma,Founder Director, National Institute ofMalaria Research and Additional DirectorGeneral, Indian Council of Medical Researchwas the Chief Guest of this function. In hisaddress he talked about R&D in parasiticdiseases in India. He said that many parasitic

Training Programmes

25th National Congress of Parasitology on“Global Challenges in the Management ofParasitic Diseases” at CSIR-CDRI

diseases had been eradicated from thecountry due to the efforts of parasitologistsof India but many more still need to beeradicated. He appreciated the contributionmade by CDRI scientists in developinglow-cost medicines to cure malaria.

During the inaugural program, the Guestof Honour Dr. P.S. Ahuja, Director General,Council of Scientific & Industrial Research,emphasized on the need to make the countryfree of infectious and parasitic diseases. Heurged the young researchers to undertaketargeted research for making India a parasitic-disease free country. He said that in the nearfuture CSIR will establish a few moreBCL-III laboratories to strengthen research


Training Programmesin the area of infectious diseases.

President of the Indian Society ofParasitology, Dr. S. L. Hoti, talked about themandate of the society and appreciated theefforts made by the CDRI team in organizingthe Congress.

On the first day of the National Congressof Parasitology, the proceedings of thescientific sessions were started under theChairmanship of Dr. V.P. Kamboj, FormerDirector of CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow.

microbiologists in India, his Birth CentenaryReminiscences was also organized.

The second day of the Conferencewitnessed intense deliberations onphysiology and cellular and molecularbiochemistry of parasites. Dr. SushmaRathaur (BHU) identified filarial thioredoxinreductase a potential drug target and Prof.Swati Patankar (IIT-Bombay) presentedexperimental evidence suggesting that athioredoxin peroxidase of the malaria parasitePlasmodium falciparum plays a role in handlingoxidative stress in the plastid organelle andmitochondrion membranes as well as thecytosol. The role of the RuvB family ofhelicases in P. falciparum biology wasdiscussed by Dr. Renu Tuteja from ICGEB,Delhi.

A separate session was dedicated toresearch where Dr. Raj from the Universityof Kerala, Trivandrum, explained the survivalof filarial parasites in the host. Dr. Anandfrom the Madurai Kamraj University showedthat, filarial infection alters the functionalproperties of circulating lymphaticprogenitors in lymphedema subjects. Dr.Desai from the Pune University talked aboutthe immunoformatics approach foridentification of epotops for developmentof vaccine for visceral Leishmaniasis. Posterswere also presented by research scholars.

The third and last day of the 25 th

National Conference of Parasitology endedwith extensive discussions on issues of drugdiscovery and development againstLeishmaniasis (kala-zar), and veterinaryparasitology. The session was sponsored byDNDi, New Delhi and Dr. Rijal, DirectorDNDi, explained the challenges to thetreatment of Kalazar in Indian subcontinent.Dr. Bhawna Sharma, Director R&D gave anoverview of the ten-year experiences ofDNDi in treating various neglected diseases.

Dr. K.V. Sashidhra from CSIR-CDRIfocused on his group’s efforts to discoverpotential leads by activity-guided fractionation

Director Genral, Dr. P.S. Ahuja deliveringthe inaugural lecture

The keynote address was delivered byDr. Joachim Clos from Bernhard NochtInstitute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg,Germany on the topic “Leishmania heatshock proteins and their roles in intracellularsurvival and signal transduction”.

Two parallel scientific session wereorganized, one on “Disease Diagnosis/Immunology” and another on “DrugDiscovery/Mechanism of Action/Resistance”. Thirteen participants fromvarious organizations delivered the oralpresentations and forty participants presentedtheir research work in poster form duringthe two sessions. In the evening, in the fondmemory of Dr. B. N. Singh, the doyen of


Release of Conference Proceedings

from the Indian medicinal plants. He alsohighlighted the concept of medicinalchemistry hybridization for the design andsynthesis of ‘nature like molecules’, therebyincreasing therapeutic efficacy as well asimproving the bioavailability profile. Prof.Sukhbir Kaur from, Panjab University,discussed the benefits of herbal drug optionsin parasitic diseases and the need forconcerted efforts to discover newer leadmolecules against visceral Leishmania.Dr. S.K. Singh from Patna talked aboutprotective efficacy of Beta-D-Glucan invisceral Leishmaniasis.

In her talk on novel ways to impair celldivision and growth of malaria parasites, Prof.Shobhona Sharma from TIFR-Mumbai,presented evidence for the involvement ofa Plasmodium falciparum 60S stalk ribosomalprotein P2 (PfP2) in nuclear division. Shealso described formulation of drug-freenanolipid carriers (NLCs) that showantimalarial protection as they target P. bergheiand P. falciparum infected red blood cells(iRBCs) through rapid uptake.

Dr. A.M. Khan from RMRC, Dibrugarh,provided information on mass drugadministration and prospects of elimination

of lymphatic filariasis in Assam andDr. Paritosh Joshi from IVRI, Bareilly,described studies on survival strategies of anematode parasite of sheep and goatswith a view to develop future interventionstrategies.

The conference concluded with theplenary talk of chief guest of the ValedictorySession, Dr. V.M. Katoch, Secretary to Govt.of India (DHR), Ministry of Health andFamily Welfare and DG, ICMR, New Delhi.In his talk he emphasized that parasiticresearch should be more practical rather thanremaining confined to books only. Theignorance towards occurrence of parasiticdiseases must be avoided, he said.

After his talk, he conferred the awardsfor BN Singh oration award, Dr. B.P. Pandeymemorial lecture award and Young Scientistawards for best scientific research inParasitology, best poster awards for youngresearchers and Dr. M.B. Mirza award forbest publication in Parasitology.

The conference was attended by morethan two hundred delegates. The conferencewas brought to a close after a vote of thanksby the organizing secretary, Dr. J.K.Srivastava.


Visits

Addressing scientists and young researchersof CSIR-North East Institute of Science andTechnology (NEIST), Jorhat, Dr HarshVardhan, Union Minister of Science &Technology, Earth Sciences and VicePresident, CSIR remarked that, “Scientistsshould help North-East’s local communitiesto cope with climate change.”

Visits

Union Minister of Science & Technology andEarth Sciences visits CSIR-NEIST

In his day-long visit to the Institute on15 November 2014, Dr. Harsh Vardhanemphasized the ‘Make in India’ vision of thePrime Minister, which he said needs regionalsynergies. He further added, “A terrificexplosion of scientific energy is waiting tobe tapped. The Narendra Modi governmentwill channelize this into giving Indianindustry a competitive edge in the globaleconomy.”

He stressed on the need for thenationwide network of laboratories under theCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) to give solutions to enable localcommunities everywhere to improve theirstandards of living. He appreciated theefforts of CSIR-NEIST in tackling theemergence of new agricultural pests andspread of new weeds in agriculture. He alsosaid that CSIR-NEIST’s scientists are awarethat climate change affects the phenologyof crops.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan further said, “I amhere to convey to you the Prime Minister’smessage that we want a strong and developedIndia – but not at the cost of the environment.The North–East is India’s greatest resourceof biodiversity, genetic resources, groundwater and countless other treasures. CSIR-NEIST should develop programmes tosafeguard these resources.”

He recounted that as Union HealthMinister, he had laid particular stress onmedicinal and aromatic plants for their vastmedical use. He mentioned that CSIR-NEIST’s research output would be crucialto creating a viable economy for localcommunities.

Accompanied by Dr. D. Ramaiah,Director CSIR-NEIST, Dr. Harsh Vardhanvisited various divisions of the Institute. Hewas given a presentation on the activities ofCSIR-NEIST by the Director in the morninghours and later spent some time in itsBiotechnology, Materials Science andChemical Sciences laboratories. He also went

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, addressing theCSIR-NEIST staff members

Dr Harsh Vardhan, attended a meeting withDr D Ramaiah, Director, CSIR-NEIST,Dr Sudeep Kumar, Head, PPD, CSIR,

Dr RC Boruah, Outstanding Scientist and withHead and Area Coordinators, CSIR-NEIST


to the Drug Processing Unit, experimentalfarm and GSI station.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan showed keen interestin the drugs (ointments) to fight arthritis andfungus developed by the Institute. Hestressed on the need to expeditedevelopment of the chemical lead compoundfor production of anti-lung cancer drugs – aproject of CSIR-NEIST which is in itsadvanced stage.

The Minister also announced a projectto accurately and systematically documentthe impact of climate change on the naturalecosystems and biodiversity of the Himalayasand the North–East region. He said, “I amin contact with renowned biologists all overthe world who have pointed out to me thevital need for building up a database on therapidly changing scene in these two regions.Accordingly, I am directing the scientists ofNEIST to carry out a pilot study within ashort time which will help local communitiesdevelop alternative systems.”

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said a socialmovement to bridge Science and Society isthe need of the hour. He pointed out, “Thepeople of North–Eastern India are far moreeducated and aware than other regions.Among local communities there istremendous indigenous knowledge. Suchknowledge can propel scientific inquiry andalso help design solutions and adaptationmeasures. So a social movement involvingall stakeholders to document the changesalready experienced in local ecosystems isnecessary.”

Dr Harsh Vardhan, discussed onLiquid Deodorant Cleaner technology

developed by Cellulose, Pulp and PaperDivision, CSIR-NEIST

Hon’ble Minister visiting the labs inCSIR-NEIST

Dr Harsh Vardhan met young researchers at Biotechnology lab, CSIR-NEIST

Dr. Harsh Vardhan urged that CSIR-NEIST must listen to local communities, notpatronise them. There is much to learn fromthe North-East for the benefit of the rest ofIndia, he opined.


Visits Union Minister for Environment, Forests andClimate Change visits CSIR-NEERI

Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister forEnvironment, Forests and Climate Changevisited CSIR-National EnvironmentalEngineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur on 20 July 2014.

In a meeting with CSIR-NEERIscientists, Principal Chief Conservator ofForests and officials from the MaharashtraPollution Control Board (MPCB), MOILLimited, Western Coalfields Limited, Indian

Bureau of Mines, Shri Javadekar discussedand took stock of various issues related tocompliance of environmental regulations,status of pending proposals in theenvironment and forest departments, andissues immediately to be resolved by theCentral Government, with reference toVidarbha.

Ms Hema Deshpande, Sub-RegionalOfficer, Maharashtra Pollution Control Boardinformed the Minister that almost all theindustries are meeting environmental normsexcept a few Public Undertakings. ShriJavadekar warned if an industry does notmeet environmental standards, the industrywill not be permitted to operate further.

Principal Chief Conservator of ForestsShri A.K. Saxena informed that 20 proposalsare pending for forest clearance with the localforest department and 55 proposals arepending with the Central Govt.

Shri Javadekar also took stock of theforest area of Nagpur and its future plans.The Minister expressed concern over thehistoric Central Museum (popularly knownas Ajab Bangla) of the Nagpur city, currentlyneglected and in dilapidated condition, andsaid that concrete efforts should be made torejuvenate this museum. The Minister soughtsuggestions in the meeting to simplify theprocedures for obtaining environment andforest clearances. In order to further improveand expedite the environmental clearanceprocess and make it more effective, timebound and transparent, Shri Javadekaremphasized on its comprehensive review.

Earlier, Shri Javadekar visited the Lab-to-Land Exhibition organized by CSIR-NEERI. He took keen interest in theachievements of the Institute. Shri Javadekarinteracted with the CSIR-NEERI scientists,and took cognizance of the R&D activitiesbeing carried out by the Institute.

Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekarinteracting with the CSIR-NEERI scientistsduring his visit to the Lab-to-Land Exhibition


Union Minister for Water Resources,River Development and Ganga Rejuvenationvisits CSIR-NEERI

Sushri Uma Bharati, Minister for WaterResources, River Development and GangaRejuvenation visited CSIR-NationalEnvironmental Engineering ResearchInstitute (CSIR-NEERI) on 26 October 2014to discuss various issues related torejuvenation of the river Ganga in the lightof the proposal submitted by CSIR-NEERIwith regard to water quality monitoring ofGanga River.

The Minister reviewed the activitiesrelated to water quality monitoring andsediment analysis for the Ganga River fromGomukh to Hooghly, proposed by CSIR-NEERI. After the review, Sushri Bharatiadvised CSIR-NEERI to include suchparameters in the study which have a directbearing on human and aquatic life. She alsodirected the Institute to include one moreparameter – ‘Arsenic’ – as this is also a majorconcern for human and aquatic life.

The Minister also interacted with theCSIR-NEERI scientists on the selection ofvarious locations for the study consideringthe most polluted stretches of the riverGanga. In particular, she briefed about somecritical locations and directed CSIR-NEERIto include these locations in the monitoringstudies. She also mentioned that the waterquality monitoring and sediment analysisstudy needs to be completed in 15 months,as the government will formulate a final planbased on CSIR-NEERI’s study to clean upthe river Ganga.

Earlier, Dr. Hemant Purohit, ChiefScientist & Head, Environmental GenomicsDivision, CSIR-NEERI welcomed theHon’ble Minister. Dr. Pawan KumarLabhasetwar, Head, Water Technology &Management Division, CSIR-NEERIpresented an overview of the activitiesproposed by CSIR-NEERI in relation toGanga rejuvenation, including identificationof unique characteristics of Ganga water anddiversity of flora in upper catchment,

Dr. Hemant Purohit, Senior Most Scientist,CSIR-NEERI interacting with

the Hon’ble Minister

Sushri Uma Bharati interacting withCSIR-NEERI scientists

particularly medicinal plants. Dr. RajeshBiniwale, Head, Cleaner Technology Centre,CSIR-NEERI briefed about the phytoridwastewater treatment technology, which canbe instrumental in the mission of “Cleaningthe Ganga”. The Hon’ble Minister was takento the site located in Nagpur where thisphytorid technology has been implementedfor sewage treatment and is still in operationfor the past four years.


Honours & Awards

Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Hindi Officer, CSIR-NIO has been awarded with the first prizefor his Hindi article “Gehun ka Jawara: Prakrutika Vardan” (The wheatgrass: blessing of

Dr. Rakesh Sharma receivedRajbhasha Award from Honorable President

Honours & Awards

CSIR-NIO Hindi Officer receives Rajbhasha Awardfrom President of India

CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence forFarm Machinery (Ex MERADO), Ludhianahas bagged three SESR awards namely,‘SESR Brilliance in Research Award’ (Dr. K.Kundu), ‘Best Project’ (CPCFM) & ‘BestProject Team Award’ (CoEFM). Theawards were conferred by the ‘Society forEducational & Scientific Research’ (SESR),Kannur, Kerala during a seminar on 11September 2014 at the ‘InternationalConference on Biosciences – State-of-the-Art Advances’ held at Lakesong Resort,Kumarakom, Kerala.

Dr. K. Kundu, Senior Scientist, CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for FarmMachinery (CoEFM), Ludhiana wasfelicitated for ‘SESR Brilliance in Research

CSIR-CMERI CoEFM conferred Three (SESR)Awards at Kumarakom

Award-2014’. The ‘Best Project Award’ forthe project under ‘Centre for PrecisionConservation Farm Machinery’ wasbestowed to Dr. Pradeep Rajan, SeniorScientist, CoEFM. Over all ‘Best ProjectTeam Award’ for Centre of Excellence forFarm Machinery, Ludhiana was conferredon Cdr. V.R. Dahake, Scientist In-charge,CoEFM. These awards are based on criteriasuch as merit and achievement of theindividual scientist and implementation anddeliverables of the crew. Selection is doneafter evaluation by a panel of eminentscientists.

Bio-fuels: CSIR-CMERI CoEFM,Ludhiana has delivered technologies like semicontinuous biodiesel plant, biogas plant

nature) under the Rajbhasha Award Schemeof Department of Official Language,Government of India for the year 2013-14.

Dr. Sharma received a certificate and acash award of Rs 25,000 on 14th September2014 on the occasion of Hindi Divas fromthe President of India Shri Pranab Mukharjeein the President’s House auditorium, NewDelhi.

Dr. Sharma is the Hindi officer in CSIR-NIO since July 2009. He has given manypresentations on Hindi computing, translationtechnology, Unicode and applied Hindi inmany national and international Hindiconferences and seminars. Many of hisarticles have been published in differentprinted and online magazines. He is the lifemember of Bharatiya Anuvad Parishad, NewDelhi. After Dr. Sharma joined CSIR-NIO,the institute has received two prestigiousawards from the Department of OfficialLanguage and a letter of appreciation fromthe Parliamentary Committee on OfficialLanguage.


operated on deoiled cake of Jatropha, Neemdecorticator, dehuller & expeller, optimizedprocess for jatropha expelling, kitchen wastebiogas plant, India’s first tractor to run onB100, Biofuel from algae, Bioethanol fromalgae wastes, etc. Former two technologieshave been successfully commercialized inIndia and abroad. The work has beenrecognized in the form of publications innational and international journals and awards.

Centre for Precision & ConservationFarming Machinery (CPCFM): CPCFMprogramme has been sanctioned to CMERI-CoEFM (MERADO) as work centre and co-ordinator as Networked project for PAU,Ludhiana, IARI, New Delhi, C-DAC, Mohali,CSIO, Chandigarh, G.B. Pant University, PantNagar, JMI University, New Delhi, IIIT MGwalior and Industrial partners. Under thisprogramme, following technologies havebeen developed:a) Pneumatic Precision Planter for direct

planting of vegetable seeds,b) Inter-row Rotary Cultivator for Wide-

row crops like vegetables, cotton, maize,peas, grams, etc.,

c) Irrigation Scheduler (programmable) forautomated pressurized irrigation like drip& sprinkler irrigation, and

d) Electrostatic Nozzle for ultra-lowvolume chemical application & increasedefficacy.

Technologies currently in developmentstages are:a) Offset Rotavator for intercultural

operations of orchards,b) ADI technology for rotavator blades,c) Cotton Picking Head for machine

harvesting of cotton bolls, andd) Application of image processing &

electronics in vacuum picking of cotton.This research project resulted in creation

of: a) state of art technology/facilities fordesign, development and evaluation ofagricultural machinery, b) efficient and costeffective farm equipment for increasingproduction and productivity particularly forsmall farmers. and c) a research teamcommitted to achieve the goals for societalbenefit.

The Mobile Bridge Inspection Unit(MBIU) developed at CSIR-CMERI-CoEFM,Ludhiana is a Simple and robust articulatedsteel structure unit mounted over a 25-tontruck chassis. It helps the bridge inspectorsto conduct 100 percent bridge inspectionwithin a stipulated time period. Currently, nosuch device is available indigenously. Onlya few companies in the world like Moog ofGermany and Hydra of USA aremanufacturing MBIUs which arehydraulically-operated folding machines withcost as high as Rs 6-7 crore. Annualmaintenance cost of such machines rangesbetween Rs. 20-30 lakhs and requires highlyskilled manpower. MBIU, on the other hand,is estimated to cost just Rs 1 crore. Its

(From L to R): Dr. S. Siva Ram,Padma Shri and Former Director, NCL, Pune,giving away the award to Cdr. V.R. Dahake,

Dr. P. Rajan and Dr. K. Kundu ofCSIR-CMERI-CoEFM, Ludhiana

maintenance cost is expected to be low andit can be operated by semi-skilled personnel.

For a small centre like CoEFM, it was agreat honour to achieve three awards in anInternational Conference organized by SESR.Cdr. V.R. Dahake also delivered a lecturewhich was overwhelmingly received andparticipants showed keen interest in hisprojects and excellent team building strategy.


Honours & Awards

creating innovation, because it convertsknowledge into money, he said. Emphasizingon “inclusive growth”, Dr. Mashelkar saidthat research and innovations should go handin hand together and India should think ofachieving accelerated inclusive growththrough inclusive innovations. “Innovationand passion is all fine, but scientist communityshould have compassion in the heart fornation building. I have got success because Ihave worked for every hour, 24x7 in a weekand I will continue to work for nationbuilding,” Dr. Mashelkar said. Dr. Mashelkarannounced that he will add Rs. 50,000/- inthe cash prize and donate Rs. 1.50 lakh tothe Institute of Chemical Technology,Mumbai for upgradation of its laboratory.

Shri Nitin Gadkari said innovation andentrepreneurship are the keys to success andunder the guidance of scientists theGovernment is planning to develop villagesthrough science and technology. Theinnovative ideas will be helpful in creatingemployment opportunities in villages, headded. Shri Gadkari advocated that variousprojects should be started in villages toeradicate poverty, unemployment and achievesustainable growth.

Earlier, Dr. Satish R. Wate, Director,CSIR-NEERI welcomed the dignitaries andintroduced Dr. R.A. Mashelkar to theaudience.

Dr. R.A. Mashelkar receives Dr. Mohan DhariaAward for Nation Building

Minister for RoadTransport, Highways& Shipping Shri NitinGadkari felicitatingformer DG-CSIRDr. R.A. Mashelkar

Dr. R.A. Mashelkar addressing the gathering

The Minister for Road Transport, Highways& Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari conferred theDr. Mohan Dharia Nation Building Awardto Padma Vibhushan Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Ex.DG-CSIR at a felicitation ceremony held inthe CSIR-NEERI Auditorium. The awardconsisted of Rs. one lakh cash, memento,shawl, sreefal, etc. The function wasorganized by Vanrai Foundation on 12 July2014.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Mashelkarsaid there is a need to utilize the knowledgeof science and technology to make 6 lakhvillages self-sufficient. Scientists have learnthow research converts money intoknowledge but now they should focus on


Professor Amitava Ghosal, an internationalexpert in the area of Cybernetics and oneof the founder key players in shaping theManagement Structure of CSIR, breathedhis last on 27 October 2014 during his visitto Dehradun in the Dipawali vacations.

Born on 25 November 1928 inChaibasa (now in Jharkhand), Dr. Ghosalhad a first class Honours degree from PatnaUniversity, post graduation from PresidencyCollege and PhD from Kolkata University.He also acquired Associateship of theInstitute of Actuaries, London andFellowship of Actuarial Society of India.

Having worker for nearly ten years inCFRI, Dhanbad under renowned coal-expert, Dr. A. Lahiri, Dr. Ghosal was invitedto join the CSIR Headquarters in New Delhiin 1963 at the time the foundation of thePlanning Division was being laid in CSIR byProf. A. Rahman.

Dr. Ghosal was invited to MonashUniversity, Australia during 1967-70, invitedas Visiting Professor to Baruch College, CityUniversity of New York during 1974-76,also as Visiting Professor in Royal MilitaryCollege, Kingston, Canada in 1980, and onceagain to City University of New York in1989. Dr. Ghosal made a couple of shortvisits to Deakin University Australia during1989, 1994, 1996 & 2001 and to WinnipegUniversity, Canada during 1980, 1987 &1989.

Besides his tactical role in the PlanningDivision, Dr. Ghosal also headed anOperation Research Unit (OR Unit),established in CSIR HQ in 1979 to carry outspeciliased jobs typically related to OR. Oneof the major contributions had been his rolein an International Project getting recognitionfor the country, the first time in the world,as a “Pioneer Investor in Oceanography”.

Dr. Ghosal retired from CSIR in 1988and later continued as Emeritus Scientist till1995. He worked with as many as eightDirector Generals starting from Prof. H.

Zaheer, during his tenure in CSIR. Afterwardshe was a Visiting Professor at the InternationalManagement Institute (IMI), New Delhi. AtCSIR he was also associated as Consultantwith a number of organisations like thePlanning Commission, Indian Airlines, KolarGold mines, etc.

Dr. Ghosal was an Honorary Fellow ofthe ‘World Organisation for Systems andCybernetics’ (WOSC) and an editor of itsjournal Kybernetics. He had quite successfullyorganized the ‘Asian Congress ofCybernetics’ in 1984 & 1987 and WOSC’sTriennial Congress 1993, the first time in Asia-Pacific, at New Delhi. In addition, Dr. Ghosalactively participated in various WOSC relatedconferences like in Mexico in 1981, Viennain 1984, London in 1987, New York in 1990,Melbourne in 1994, Brunel University UKin 1999, etc.

He had been instrumental in establishingthe ‘Society of Management Sciences andApplied Cybernetics’ (SOMAC) in 1972 andwas its Founder Secretary, and had also beenEditor of its journal SCIMA. Dr. Ghosalalso played a significant role in shapingthe Operational Society of India andwas Founder Editor of its journalOPSEARCH.

Dr. Ghosal has written several books.Two of his publications, Some Aspects ofQueuing and Storage Systems and AppliedCybernetics have been well received. Dr.Ghosal had been PhD supervisor for severalstudents from City University of New York,Monash University Melbourne andUniversity of Delhi.

A combination of empirical work andMathematical approach transformed Dr.Ghosal into a renowned worker inOperations Research. His research inputs onvarious subjects and close contacts with alarge number of distinguished dignitaries ofthe area, enabled him to extend theapplications of Cybernetics to several criticalareas.

Obituary

International Cybernetics Expert and formerCSIR Scientist Breathes His Last

Besides his tactical

role in the Planning

Division, Dr. Ghosal

also headed an

Operation Research

Unit (OR Unit),

established in CSIR

HQ in 1979 to carry

out speciliased jobs

typically related to

OR. One of the

major contributions

had been his role in

an International

Project getting

recognition for the

country, the first

time in the world, as

a “Pioneer Investor

in Oceanography”.


Deeksha Bist on behalf of CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication And Information ResourcesDr K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi -110 012 and printed at NISCAIR Press

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Announcements

2015 CSIR Young Scientist Awards

The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) invites nominations for theCSIR Young Scientist (YS) Awards for the year 2015. The awards are to be given forresearch contributions made primarily in India. The nominee should be a regularscientific staff of CSIR system holding a post of Junior/Trainee Scientist or above(Previously Scientist ‘B’ or above in Group IV) and should have joined the CSIRlaboratory on or prior to 26th September 2014. The age of the nominee should not bemore than 35 years as on 26th September 2014.

The YS Awards are given annually in the following disciplines: (1) BiologicalSciences, (2) Chemical Sciences, (3) Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences,(4) Engineering Sciences, and (5) Physical Sciences (including instrumentation). TheYS Award comprises a citation, a cash award of Rs 50,000(Rupees fifty thousandonly), and a plaque.

Nominations addressed to Scientist Incharge, SSB YSA Unit, HumanResource Development (HRD) Group, CSIR Complex, Library Avenue, Pusa,New Delhi 110 012 should be sent as per the prescribed proforma (original + onecopy) latest by 31st January 2015. A CD/DVD/USB flash derive is also requiredcontaining digital photograph (in JPEG format), duly filled proforma and significantpublications (in PDF format) of the nominee.

The details of the YS Award and the prescribed proforma for nomination maybe obtained from above address or may also be downloaded fromwebsite: www.csirhrdg.res.in

COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT GROUPCSIR Complex, Library Avenue

Pusa, New Delhi 110 012

NOMINATIONS INVITED

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Ne - NISCAIR Nagpur. CSIR-NEERI RC and project team members at the reactor site CSIR News DECEMBER 2014 267 Tannery waste, if left unattended, can have disastrous impact on the environment