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| Parent institution | Ministry of Science and Technology |
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| Founders | |
| Established | 26 September 1942; 83 years ago (26 September 1942) |
| President | Prime Minister of India |
| Director General | N. Kalaiselvi |
| Budget | ₹7,144 crore (US$850 million) (2021–22)[1] |
| Address | Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi – 110001 |
| Location | |
| Website | csir |
TheCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR;IAST:vaigyanik tathā audyogik anusandhāna pariṣada) is aresearch and development (R&D) organisation in India to promote scientific, industrial and economic growth. Headquartered inNew Delhi, it was established as an autonomous body in 1942 under the aegis of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR),Ministry of Science and Technology,Government of India. CSIR is among the largest publicly funded R&D organisations in the world.[2] CSIR has pioneered sustained contribution to science and technology (S&T) human resource development in India.[3]
As of 2013,[update] it runs 37 laboratories/institutes, 39 outreach centres, 3 Innovation Centres and 5 units throughout the nation, with a collective staff of over 14,000, including a total of 4,600 scientists and 8,000 technical and support personnel.[4] Although it is mainly funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, it operates as an autonomous body through theSocieties Registration Act, 1860.[5]
The research and development activities of CSIR includeaerospace engineering,structural engineering,ocean sciences, life sciences and healthcare including diagnostics,metallurgy, chemicals,mining,food,petroleum,leather, andenvironmental science.[5]
N. Kalaiselvi is the present Director General of CSIR. She also serves as the Secretary of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.[6]
In terms of Intellectual property, CSIR has 2971 patents in force internationally and 1592 patents in force in India.[4] CSIR is granted more than 14000 patents worldwide since its inception. CSIR was awarded the National Intellectual Property (IP) Award 2018 in the category "Top R&D Institution / Organisation for Patents and Commercialisation" byIndian Patent Office.
In late 2007, theMinister of Science and Technology,Kapil Sibal stated, in aQuestion Hour session of theParliament, that CSIR has developed 1,376 technologies/knowledgebase during the last decade of the 20th century.[7]
In the 1930s, the need for establishing research organisations for the development of natural resources and new industries in India began to emerge. Eminent citizens such asC. V. Raman, Lt. Col.Seymour Sewell andJ. C. Ghosh had proposed the creation of an advisory board of scientific research.Sir Richard Gregory, then editor ofNature, was among the first people who officially reported to theBritish Government. After visiting scientific departments and universities in India in 1933, Gregory submitted toSamuel Hoare,Secretary of State for India, regarding the need of scientific organisation similar to theDSIR in Britain. Indian scientists atCalcutta andBangalore initiated schemes to launch a National Institute of Sciences and anIndian Academy of Sciences, respectively. At the Fifth Industries Conference in 1933, the Provincial Governments ofBombay,Madras,Bihar andOrissa unanimously reiterated their demand for a co-ordinating forum for industrial research. Hoare advised theViceroy,Lord Willingdon, to support the demand. However, in May 1934, Willingdon replied to Hoare saying, "The creation of a Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in India to promote the application of research to natural resources does not appear to be necessary." While the Indian DSIR was rejected, the colonial government provided a small concession. It instead offered to create an Industrial Intelligence and Research Bureau, which came into operation in April 1935 under the Indian Stores Department. The Bureau's limited resources (with a budget of ₹1.0lakh per annum) made it impossible to initiate major research and industrial activities as had been hoped for; it was mainly concerned with testing and quality control.[8]
At the onset ofWorld War II in 1939, the bureau was proposed to be abolished. Arguably,Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar became the most instrumental in the creation of CSIR in India.[9] As a member of Viceroy's executive council, and also of Commerce, he recommended that the Bureau should be terminated, not as a measure of economy, but to make room for a Board of Scientific and Industrial Research, which should be endowed with greater resources and wider objectives. It was by this persistence that the Board of Scientific and Industrial Research (BSIR) was created on 1 April 1940 for a period of two years. Mudaliar became the chair of the board. It was at this point that Bhatnagar was appointed to pilot the board, as the Director. The BSIR was allocated an annual budget of ₹5,00,000 under the Department of Commerce. By the end of 1940, about 80 researchers were engaged, of whom one-quarter was directly employed. Major achievements of BSIR included development of the techniques for the purification ofBaluchistansulphur anti-gas cloth manufacture, vegetable oil blends as fuel and lubricants, plastic packing cases for army boots and ammunition, dyes for uniforms and the preparation ofvitamins, and the invention of apyrethrumemulsifier and cream. In early 1941 Bhatnagar persuaded the government to set up an Industrial Research Utilisation Committee (IRUC) for translating results into application. The government then agreed to make a separate fund out of theroyalties received from industry for further investment into industrial research. Mudaliar recommended that an Industrial Research Fund should be constituted, which would have an annual grant of ₹10,00,000 for a period of five years. This was accepted by the Central Assembly inDelhi at its session on 14 November 1941.
Then the constitution of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as an autonomous body was prepared under Mudaliar and Bhatnagar. Thus, CSIR came into operation on 26 September 1942. The BSIR and IRUC were incorporated into the advisory bodies to the governing body of the CSIR. In 1943 the governing body of CSIR approved the proposal of Bhatnagar to establish five national laboratories — the National Chemical Laboratory, the National Physical Laboratory, the Fuel Research Station, the Glass & Ceramics Research Institute and theNational Metallurgical Laboratory. In 1944 in addition to its annual budget of ₹10 lakh, CSIR received a grant of ₹1crore for the establishment of these laboratories. TheTata Industrial House donated ₹20 lakh for the chemical, metallurgical and fuel research laboratories.[8] The foundation for theCentral Glass and Ceramic Research Institute atKolkata was the first to be laid, in December 1945;National Metallurgical Laboratory atJamshedpur in November 1946; and that for theNational Chemical Laboratory atPune was the last, on 6 April 1947, four months beforeIndia became independent.[10] All the five establishments were completed by 1950.[9]
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize was established by CSIR in 1958. The prize is named after the Founder DirectorShanti Swarup Bhatnagar.
The nominees for the award are filtered out from the research categories of - Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary, Engineering, Mathematical Sciences, Medical Sciences & Physical Sciences.
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize comes up with a Citation, a Plaque & a Cash Award of 5 Lakh Rupees with the addition of a stipend of ₹15,000/- per month (till the age of 65).
Every year, the Award Selection Committee of CSIR presents the award to maximum 2 individuals from each research category. As per the stats, the SSB Prize has been awarded to 525 individuals for their exemplary work in Science & Technology.
The candidates must be:
The above criteria help CSIR Committee to select the eligible candidates for the award but the selection will be based on the results of selection procedure which is conducted by the Advisory Committee of CSIR.
As of May 2024, there are 39 research laboratories, 39 outreach centres, 1 Innovation Complexes, and three units with a pan-India presence under CSIR inIndia.
18 journals and 3 popular science magazines (Science Reporter and itsHindi,Urdu editions) are available under open access from NOPR website.[28]
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