Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

 Significant Scientific & Technical Attainments during the year

• CSIR’s HANSA-NG Aircraft Type Certified: India requires large number of pilot trainer aircraft to cater to the needs of the aviation sector. CSIR-NAL has indigenously designed and developed light aircraft Hansa-New Generation (NG) with advance features. Aircraft is Type Certified by the DGCA on 20th February 2023 for DAY-VFR & NIGHT-VFR operations under JAR-VLA. CSIR-NAL has received Letter of Intents (LoI) for procurement of nearly 110 aircrafts from Flying clubs across the country.

• CSIR-CIMAP research lowers Nicotine content in Tobacco plant: CSIR-CIMAP has successfully lowered Nicotine content in the Petit Havana Tobacco plant variety by using a genome editing tool and reduced 60-70 per cent Nicotine in it, compared to Nicotine content in wild-type plants. CSIR-CIMAP further plans to lower Nicotine in commercial varieties to help people quit the habit by working on tobacco plant varieties used in cigarettes, cigars, beedi.
• First consignment of import substitute Hydrogen Hydrate dispatched: Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, have jointly received patents for the indigenous process to manufacture Hydrazine Hydrate (H6N2O). A commercial plant of 10,000 TPA 80% Hydrazine Hydrate was designed by CSIR-IICT and was established by GACL at their Dahej complex. The first batch of the product was flagged off and was attended by Director, CSIR-IICT, MD-GACL and other officials.
• CSIR-NAL launches Q Plane and JALDOST Airboat: In a significant step towards advancing the capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in India, the CSIR-NAL unveiled the Q Plane – a lightweight all-electric hybrid UAV with vertical-take-off-and-landing capability during the curtain raiser of One Week, One Lab, on 2nd August 2023. Designed for autonomous flight, the UAV has a range of 30 kilometres and endurance of up to 70 minutes. CSIR-NAL’s JALDOST, an airboat that operates on water and removes excess aquatic weed & floating waste from water bodies, was also launched. The JALDOST has a closed airtight pontoon type hull to make it inherently unsinkable. It has a hybrid propulsion system, comprising air propulsion and paddle wheel propulsion. CSIR-NAL has developed two versions of the airboat — JALDOST Mark-1 and an upgraded version JALDOST Mark-2. The JALDOST Mark-2 has been designed on the specifications given by BBMP and can be used to clean lakes in Bengaluru. It was also launched on 2nd August 2023, during the curtain raiser of One Week, One Lab, of CSIR-NAL.

• Launch of CSIR’s Indigenous E-Tractor, CSIR Prima ET11: The Minister of State (Independent Charge), Science and Technology and Vice-President, CSIR, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on August 21st, 2023, launched the compact E-Tractor CSIR PRIMA ET11, indigenously designed and developed by CSIR-CMERI to cater to small and marginal farmers of India.

• Installation of 10 TPD Biogas plant at Bowenapally Vegetable Market, Hyderabad: With the financial support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), GoI, CSIR-IICT has installed and operated a 10 ton per day biogas plant at Dr. BR Ambedkar Vegetable Market in Bowenpally where 10 tons of waste is converted to 500 - 600 m3/day of biogas everyday along with liquid digestate that can be used as organic fertilizer. The biogas is used to replace grid power (approx. 400 kWh/day) and LPG consumption (28 – 30 kg/day).
• Launch of improved lotus variety ‘Namoh 108': CSIR-NBRI launched an improved variety of the national flower Lotus with 108 petals called 'Namoh 108' on 14th August 2023 during the inaugural of the One Week, One Lab campaign of CSIR-NBRI. The Lotus variety is more weather resilient and can flower from March to December. This lotus was brought by NBRI scientists from Manipur to conduct research on it. This is the first Lotus variety whose genome is completely sequenced. CSIR-NBRI also released apparels made from lotus fibre and perfume ‘Frotus’ developed from Lotus plants in collaboration with FFDC, Kannauj.

• Approval for Clinical Trials of Oral Contraceptive Pill ‘Levormeloxifene’: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the clinical trials of an oral contraceptive pill ‘Levormeloxifene’ jointly developed by CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) and the technology partner.
• Technology to Produce Vegan Leather: CSIR-CLRI’s developed technology is used to produce eco-friendly vegan alternative to synthetic leather using mango fruits. India produces 20 million tons of mango a year, making it the world's largest producer of mango. In India up to 40% of mangoes are abandoned in the fields because they do not meet regulatory and market standards, so they can be used to produce alternative material to leather. The new material is made of 50% mango and degrades faster than polyurethane leather.
• CSIR-NGRI does a drone survey at Ladakh: CSIR-NGRI successfully conducted a drone based magnetic survey in the Ladakh region in September 2022 for the first time for an area of about 45 sq.km and the data is currently being analysed by the scientists at CSIR-NGRI. The institute has used a five kilo payload capacity drone carrying an important sensor to record the data for sub-surface level area.
• CSIR's first battery recycling pilot facility commissioned in Jamshedpur: The CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) has commissioned the first Battery Recycling Pilot Facility of the CSIR at Jamshedpur to extract critical metals such as Lithium, Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt. It encompasses 1 Ton per day (TPD) battery dismantling and cathode material separation setup, apart from the integrated large-scale hydrometallurgical facility for extraction and separation of those critical metals.
• CSIR-NIO discover active submarine volcano in Andaman Sea: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has discovered an active submarine volcano (Crater Seamount) in the Andaman Sea, which has been at the epicentre of the seismic zone since it was first observed in 2007. Crater Seamount has the potential to erupt at any time leading to earthquakes and even tsunamis in the Java-Sumatra region. The timing of the eruption, however, cannot be ascertained.
• Research on ongoing declines for the world’s amphibians: A groundbreaking paper published in Nature on 4th October 2023 reveals climate change as a major driver of amphibian decline. Climate change was the primary threat for 39% of species pushed toward extinction since 2004. Scientist from CSIR-CCMB was a part of this global study.
• CSIR-NAL hands over AMCA’s carbon composite flaperon test box to ADA: The CSIR-NAL in collaboration with Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), has successfully designed and developed a cutting-edge Flaperon Structural Assembly for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, India’s to-be 5th generation stealth fighter jet, achieving a breakthrough in composite technologies. CSIR-NAL handed over the jointly developed IM7 carbon composite based flaperons for the AMCA Project to ADA. This milestone was marked by the completion of the AMCA’s Flaperon Test Box Assembly on October 5, 2023, a significant day for the Indian aerospace industry. The assembly has been officially handed over, symbolising a milestone in this collaborative effort.
• A new multi-component alloy-based catalyst designed for efficient production of Green Hydrogen: A newly designed catalyst consisting of an alloy of cobalt, manganese, and tin is more stable and can produce hydrogen through electrolysis of water more efficiently than the individual metals or binary (Co-Mn, Mn-Sn or Co-Sn) alloys. Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, and the National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, have developed a promising catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a crucial step in water electrolysis for producing hydrogen. This newly designed catalyst, a mixture of Cobalt, Manganese, and Tin known as Co-Mn-Sn alloy, has shown better efficiency and stability in generating hydrogen as compared to the individual metals or binary (Co-Mn, Mn-Sn or Co-Sn) alloys. The presence of Manganese and Tin in the alloy played a synergistic role in boosting its performance. As the Co-Mn-Sn alloy does not contain any platinum group metal it offers exciting prospects.
• Indian sign language brings hope for deaf students aspiring to learn STEM subjects: To give wings to the dreams of deaf science aspirants, the Central Government has got onboard scientists and deaf special education experts to train sign language interpreters and create signs on terms and concepts on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) for enabling higher education in the Indian Sign Language (ISL). Showing the way forward is the first of its kind project in the country 'Indian Sign Language Enabled Virtual Laboratory' (ISLEVL) under the CSIR's 'JIGYASA' programme under which experts are creating specialised digital content to educate the deaf by ISL translated contents in STEM. 103 new signs and 200 content videos on scientific concepts have been developed by CSIR-IMTech team, with the assistance of deaf special education experts.

• Tapping the underwater fish chorus symphony, with help of AI: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, has, for the first time, recorded the captivating sounds of marine life with the help of Artificial Intelligence. Recent passive acoustic recordings by the CSIR-NIO have uncovered a veritable "symphony" of sounds produced by fish, shedding light on their complex underwater communication.

Major International and National Events

• ‘One Week, One Lab’ campaign of CSIR: The ‘One Week, One Lab’ (OWOL)  campaign of CSIR was launched by the Minister of State (I/C) S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh, on January 6th, 2023, to showcase the diverse legacies, exclusive innovations and technological breakthroughs of the network of 37 CSIR labs situated across the Nation, working in diversified domains of S&T. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Secretary, DSIR & DG, CSIR, called the campaign, a celebration of Science & Technologies for CSIR labs and new initiative in the Amrit Kaal, to leverage the technologies of CSIR. CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee was the first lab to organise the OWOL campaign. Almost every week after that the campaign was organised by other CSIR laboratories and was concluded with CSIR-NAL, Bengaluru. The OWOL Campaign of CSIR culminated on 26th September 2023 during the Foundation Day Celebrations of CSIR.

• CSIR participates in 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC): CSIR and its laboratories participated in the ‘Pride of India Mega Expo’ in 108th Indian Science Congress – 2023 organised at RTMNU, Nagpur, Maharashtra, during January 3-7, 2023. The Expo was inaugurated by the Minister of State (I/C) S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh, along with Deputy CM, Maharashtra, Shri Devender Fadnavis. The Secretary DSIR & DG, CSIR, Dr N Kalaiselvi, visited CSIR Pavilion at the ‘Pride of India Mega Expo’ and interacted with delegates, students, start-ups and beneficiaries. CSIR bagged the ‘Best Exhibitor of the Year’ Award at ISC 2023.
• CSIR commemorates the International Year of Millets: CSIR-CFTRI organised an exclusive event, “CSIR Innovations on Millets” commemorating the International Year of Millets on January 10th, 2023. The event was inaugurated by the Minister of State (I/C) S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh. He said that the United Nations declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets” at the initiative of the Indian Government last year and was backed by 72 other countries. An exhibition on millet products and a Desktop Calendar 2023 on millets was also released as part of the celebrations of “International Year of Millets-2023”. The Exhibition had a display of products and technologies developed in CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapurm and CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, and showcased the capabilities of CSIR laboratories in Millets R&D and reach out to various stakeholders on the institute's Millet-based Technologies at national Level.

• CSIR participates in IISF 2022: CSIR and its laboratories participated in the ‘Mega Science & Technology Expo’ of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2022, held at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh during January 21-24, 2023. The Mega S&T Expo was inaugurated by the Minister of State (I/C) S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh, along with the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the Minister S&T of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Om Prakash Saklecha. The Ministers along with Dr N Kalaiselvi, Secretary, DSIR & DG, CSIR visited CSIR Pavilion at the ‘Mega S&T Expo’. CSIR Pavilion won the ‘Best Pavilion in the Expo’ Award at the Mega S&T Expo of IISF 2022. Other programs organised by CSIR Labs during IISF 2022 were “Vigyanika - Science Literature Festival” by CSIR-NIScPR, “Artisan’s Technology Village-Vocal for Local” by CSIR-AMPRI and “Science through the Games and Toys” by CSIR–4PI.
• Young Start-Up Conclave organised by CSIR at Kathua, J&K: The Minister S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh on 28th January 2023, unveiled the Young Start-Up Conclave at Kathua, J&K organised by CSIR. The conclave witnessed the presence of renowned entrepreneurs, industry leaders, academicians, representatives of leading venture capital firms, incubators and accelerators. During the conclave, the local progressive farmers also shared their success stories and experience and expressed gratitude to CSIR for making it possible through proper hand holding and considerable support in their endeavours.
• Kisan Mela organised in Lucknow: CSIR-CIMAP, as a part of the One Week, One Lab campaign, organised a Kisan Mela during 31st January 2023 till 4th February 2023. Shri Surya Pratap Shahi, Cabinet Minister, Govt of UP inaugurated the CIMAP Kissan Mela and addressed the farmers, entrepreneurs and staff of the institute. More than 3,000 farmers and entrepreneurs participated in the mela. During the Kisan Mela “Aus Gyanya”, UV protection herbal product ‘CIM-Kayakawach’, handbook of alternative cultivation of mentha and QR-code for information on MAPs varieties were released. A farmers meet and awareness programme was also conducted at CSIR-CIMAP Research Centres in Bengaluru and Hyderabad on 2nd February 2023.
• CSIR organises G20 RIIG Conference on Materials for Sustainable Energy: CSIR organized the Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Conference on “Materials for Sustainable Energy” during 2-3 March, 2023 at Ranchi under India’s G20 Presidency. Various facets of ‘Materials for Sustainable Energy’ were discussed under three sessions, viz., (i) 21st Century Challenges Related to Energy Materials & Devices, (ii) Solar Energy Utilisation and Photovoltaic Technology, and (iii) Materials and Processes for Green Energy. Leading experts were drawn from institutions such as IITs, IISERs, CSIR Labs; industries; think tanks including NITI Aayog; and Indian Energy Storage Alliance. Twenty foreign delegates from ten G20 member countries, six invited guest countries and an international organisation joined the two-day conference. From India, 38 delegates and special invitees from scientific departments, research and academic institutions and industry participated in the RIIG Conference.

• International Women’s Day celebrations at CSIR: The CSIR family celebrated International Women’s Day on March 9th, 2023, to honour the Pride of Women in CSIR contributing directly or indirectly in the progress of science & society. The celebration had Mrs Manju Singh, an educationist and Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (I/C) S&T, gracing the occasion as the Chief Guests. Ms Nivruti Rai, VP, Intel Foundry Services, Intel Corporation & Country Head, Intel India, joined as the Guest of Honour and delivered a special talk on “Breaking Barrier: Advancing Women in Science & Technology”. The celebration was also graced by the presence of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Govt. of India, Prof A. K. Sood and Dr M. Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES & Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, DBT, too joined together with their families. Directors of CSIR laboratories and Heads of CSIR Headquarter Directorates along with their spouses; and many CSIR staffs joined physically as well as online for the celebration.
• CSIR YUVA Portal Launched: To contribute in the Digital India Initiative of the government of India, CSIR launched YUVA (Yuva Vaigyanik Anveshan) Portal for inviting online applications from young postgraduates and doctorates researchers on 17th April 2023. The YUVA portal will digitally empower the young researchers who will contribute in the scientific, technological development and knowledge economy of the country in the near future.
• CSIR participated in the National Technology Week 2023 celebrations: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 11th May 2023 inaugurated the five-day National Technology Week celebrations jointly observed by all Science Ministries and Departments in New Delhi. CSIR showcased its technologies and innovations in the exhibition. Expert talks by CSIR leaders were also organised during the event.
• Lavender Festival in Bhaderwah, J&K: Union Minister of State (I/C) S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh on 4th June 2023 inaugurated the two-day Lavender festival organised at Bhaderwah in Jammu, as part of One Week, One Lab campaign of CSIR-IIIM, Jammu. The Lavender festival involved hundreds of farmers, agri-industrialists, entrepreneurs etc. The farmer -industry meet, Agri-startup expo and cultural programme were the significant highlights of the festival.

• Rashtriya Boudhik Sampada Mahotsav: Under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) & Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) along with the partners Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), O/o Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM), Protection of Plant Variety and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA), National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and Sanrachna Foundation launched a month-long celebrations of Rashtriya Boudhik Sampada Mahotshav (RBSM) - National Intellectual Property Festival from 1st July 2023 to 31st July 2023. The campaign was launched by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (I/C), S&T and Chairman, National Implementation Committee (NIC) at CSIR-NPL, New Delhi on 30th June 2023. CSIR through its 37 constituent laboratories, conducted 184 events all across the country with more than 1,25,000 participants during the campaign. CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneshwar and CSIR-CECRI, Karaikudi flagged off “CSIR- IP Rath” for disseminating IP knowledge to greater masses.

• Pushp Krishi Mela organised under CSIR Floriculture Mission II: CSIR-IHBT organised "Pushp Krishi Mela" under CSIR Floriculture Mission II on 10th August, 2023 at DIHAR, DRDO, Leh. It was inaugurated by Lt. Governor Brig. (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd.). Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC, Leh, Advocate Tashi Gyalson, Member of Parliament, Ladakh, Shri Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Shri Ravinder Kumar (IAS), Secretary Agriculture/Horticulture UT Ladakh and Dr. O.P Chaurasia, Director, DIHAR, DRDO, Leh, Ladakh were present as Guest of Honour.
• Mega Exhibition on CSIR Decadal Achievements: On the occasion of the 82nd Foundation Day of CSIR, a two-day event to showcase the decadal achievements of CSIR was organized at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on 26 & 27 September 2023. The exhibition was inaugurated by Minister S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh. All 37 CSIR laboratories participated in the exhibition and displayed their achievements through posters, exhibits, products, prototypes, etc. At the event's backdrop, a CSIR-Industry Meet was organized and attended by the industry partners of various laboratories of CSIR.

• Flag Off of "Recycling on Wheels Smart-ER" to Promote Cleanliness and Environmental Responsibility under Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) campaign: In alignment with the Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) campaign, celebrated from September 15th to October 2nd 2023, Minister S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the "Recycling on Wheels Smart-ER" at CSIR Headquarters in New Delhi on October 2nd 2023. Dr Kalaiselvi, DG, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, addressing during the inauguration of the Special Campaign 3.0 for institutionalizing Swachhata said that all the 37 CSIR labs across the country are engaged with both physical cleaning and e-cleaning that is processing and weeding out of obsolete files.
• Director General, WIPO visits CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library: Mr. Daren Tang, Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other distinguished delegates from the WIPO visited the CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) facility on 12 October 2023 and participated in discussions on the CSIR Innovation System, TKDL, CSIR Technologies, and CSIR’s Current IP Strength & Strategy. The CSIR team was led by Dr. (Mrs.) N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, DSIR and Director General, CSIR. The distinguished guests included Prof. Unnat P. Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM), and representatives from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the office of the CGPDTM, and Ministry of AYUSH.
• CSIR innovation showcase in World Food India 2023: The World Food India 2023 event, organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industry, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from November 3-5, 2023, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The CSIR pavilion at World Food India-2023 expo was inaugurated by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, the Director General, CSIR, and Secretary, DSIR, New Delhi in the presence of three CSIR constituent laboratories’ Directors, Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru; Dr. Sudesh Kumar Yadav, Director, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur (HP); and Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director, CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, and scientists from the labs and the CSIR Headquarters. The CSIR labs, CFTRI, IHBT and NIIST participated in the World Food India event and showcased their scientific innovations in food sector.
• Union S&T Minister addresses the 7th Convocation of AcSIR: From the educated unemployed of the past, we are now seeking to move on into an era of educated employable Science entrepreneurs with the introduction of i-PhD which would in other words be an Industry linked degree in PhD. Addressing the 7th Convocation of Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) in New Delhi on November 9th, 2023, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said, this Academy is a unique academic platform which awards a Degree in Science that is employable and includes a curriculum underlined by the nuances of entrepreneurship.
• CSIR-CBRI organised Technology Transfer Mela: CSIR-Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, organized a Technology Transfer Mela on 24th November 2023 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The Mela was inaugurated by Minister S&T and VP, CSIR, Dr. Jitendra Singh. A Technology Compendium was also released on this occasion.
• CSIR participates in Global Bio-India 2023: CSIR laboratories participated in the Global Bio-India 2023 organised by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), in collaboration Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), during 4-6 December 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi and showcased their innovations and developments in the fields of bio-technologies and biosciences.
• International Food Convention in Mysuru: The 9th International Food Convention (IFCoN-2023) got off to a start on 7th December 2023 with food scientists and technologists from across the country and also abroad attending the four-day mega event – organised once in five years by the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) with the collaboration of Central research institutions. This year’s theme of the convention is “TRIMSAFE – Technology Re-engineering for Innovation and Mitigating the risk for a Safe, sustainable, Affordable and secure Food Eco-system”. The CSIR-CFTRI, DRDO-DFRL, and CSIR-IITR supported the AFSTI in organising the convention.

MoUs signing and collaborations

• MoU signing between CSIR, India and AMEXCID, Mexico on research, technology and innovation collaborations: In a landmark milestone in S&T Cooperation between India and Mexico, an MoU on Research, Technology & Innovation cooperation was signed between CSIR, India and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States on March 4th, 2023. The MoU shall facilitate cooperation in the areas of research, technological development/deployment, innovation and capacity building, with an objective to expand knowledge and strengthen Intuitional capacities in both the countries.
• Multi-Sectoral Agreement signed between CSIR and DDR&D, Israel: A Multi-Sectoral Agreement was signed between CSIR and Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel, in the august presence of Minister S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh at the CSIR-Science Centre on 2nd May 2023. The MoU has been signed on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation with focus on several key technology areas.

• Exchange of CSIR-DAAD Agreement of Cooperation: A German delegation headed by Dr. Michael Harms, Deputy Secretary General, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Federal Republic of Germany visited CSIR for exchange of CSIR-DAAD Agreement of Cooperation as for exploring collaboration discussions with AcSIR.
• CSIR signs MoU with HQIDS: An MoU between the Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff (HQIDS) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was signed on 23rd November 2023 for technical collaboration and joint research and development in the field of Defence Technology. The MoU aims to provide an umbrella framework for initiating collaborative interaction between CSIR Labs, HQ IDS and Armed Forces, namely Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, for enhancing scientific understanding of technologies related to defence and undertaking joint research and development in dual use technologies.
• CSIR-CDRI and pharma firm Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd tie-up for generic meds: CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Hyderabad, signed an agreement for the development of cost-effective generic medicine with an aim to develop cost-effective and industrially viable processes for selected generic drugs.

Awards and Accolades

• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes presented: The Union Minister S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh on 26th September 2023, presented the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar National Awards to eminent Scientists below the age of 45, at a largely attended 82nd Foundation Day Celebrations Function of CSIR at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

• CSIR-AMPRI Awarded with CII 3R Awards 2023: The CSIR-AMPRI won the Confederation of Indian Industry - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (CII 3R) Awards 2023. The Award has been conferred for the institute’s excellence in managing wastes through innovative solutions/technologies.
• PETA India announces Vegan Fashion Awards 2023: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India, announced the winners of its 2023 Vegan Fashion Awards. Best Vegan Fashion Moment awarded to CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai, for developing technology to make vegan leather products using mango pulp. Best Innovation in Textiles awarded to CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, for developing vegan leather from agricultural waste, including mango and pineapple peels, cactus, rice straw, and vetiver grass.

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