Lok Sabha Question No. 293 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-24
Subject: Role of CSIR in Social and Economic Development
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Jugal Kishore, Shri Satpal Brahamchari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. † 293 ANSWERED ON 24.07.2024

## ROLE OF CSIR IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

† 293. Shri Jugal Kishore: Shri Satpal Brahamchari:

## Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a)   the role of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in  providing  the  necessary  foundation  of  knowledge  for  the social and economic development in the Country including rural areas and small cities;
- (b)    the details of the achievements made and performance noticed in this regard during the last three years;
- (c)     whether several new measures have been taken by the CSIR to instill scientific thinking in youths; and
- (d)     if so, the details and the positive outcomes thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is positioned to undertake research and development focused at the  unmet  need  and  deliver  knowledgebase/  technology  to benefit the masses  and  Indian  industry.  CSIR  has  been pursuing  diverse  Scientific  and  Technological  activities  and thus  has  been  delivering  as  per  national  priorities.  CSIR  is utilizing the knowledgebase and technologies developed/available in its constituent's laboratories/ institutes for addressing the challenges through various projects, which enables deployment of relevant CSIR technologies/innovations/interventions in rural areas and small
- towns  across  the  country  for  augmenting  the  incomes  and improving the quality of lives in the villages. (b) The  significant  achievements/initiatives  of  CSIR  for  socioeconomic  development  of  the  country  including  rural  areas and  small  cities  during  the  last  three  years  is  placed  at Annexure-I. (c)&(d) Yes, Sir. The significant measures/ initiatives taken by CSIR

to instil scientific thinking in youths is at Annexure-II.

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## The major recent achievements/initiatives of CSIR for socio-economic development of the country including rural areas and small cities

CSIR  Aroma  Mission: The  mission  envisaged  to  catalyse  rural  empowerment  through cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing of aromatic plants.  Under this Mission, more  than  36,600-hectare  land  has  been  brought  under  cultivation  of  aromatic  crops generating employment of about 71 lakh rural mandays and 110 startups/new entrepreneurships.  CSIR  enabled  the  famed Purple  Revolution by  introducing  Lavender cultivation  in  10  districts  of  J&K  benefitting  more  than  1000  farming  families  through increasing their income from Rs. 20,000/to Rs. 200,000/per acre per year. Atmanirbharata  in  Lemongrass  essential  oil: with  the  implementation  of  CSIR  Aroma Mission, India has become one of the largest exporters of lemongrass essential oil in the world with about 600 tonnes worth Rs.60 crores of lemongrass essential oil exported during 202122. Golden  revolution  in  Himachal  Pradesh: Himachal  Pradesh  becomes  the  highest producer  of  aromatic  marigold  essential  oil  in  the  country  leading  to  the  production  of  8 tonnes of marigold oil (worth Rs. 11.2 crore), which has enhanced the farmers' income 2.5 times  over  traditional  crops  (Rs.  50,000-60,000/ha/year).  The  CSIR  Aroma  Mission  has enabled the Indian farmers and aroma industry to become global leaders in the production and export of various essential oils like menthol mint, lemongrass, etc.

CSIR-Floriculture Mission: CSIR initiated a 'Floriculture Mission' in 2020-21 with the aim to utilize the knowledgebase available in CSIR institutes and leverage it in an effort to help Indian Floriculture farmers and industry reposition itself to meet the import requirements in the domain.  The mission is helping in enhancing the farmers' income and entrepreneurship development through high value floriculture utilizing CSIR technologies. Its implementation has helped to bring about 4121 hectares of land under cultivation in 245 clusters covering 24 States and UTs benefiting about 14,150 floriculture farmers. A significant achievement is the indigenous development of Tulip bulb production in Lahaul & Spiti that helped in reducing the import of planting materials. For the domestication of indigenous wild ornamental plants, propagation techniques including Tissue Culture have been developed for 20 species that are collected from Western Himalaya, Eastern Himalaya, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and IndoGangetic plains. In collaboration with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Apiculture  has  been  integrated  with  CSIR  Floriculture  Mission  for  high  quality  Honey production. So far total 50 clusters have been established with the distribution of about 5800 Bee Boxes provided to the clusters developed by CSIR Labs benefiting around 8000 farmers.

CSIR  Seaweed  Mission :  CSIR  through  its  Seaweed  mission  aimed  to  "Generate  the knowledge  and  innovations  that  would  help  make  seaweed  cultivation  a  new  form  of agriculture  which  is  remunerative,  eco-friendly,  sustainable  and  expansive  in  scope".  CSIR takes pride for being the first in the country to pioneer the Kappaphycus alvarezii cultivation technology leading to commercial farming of the seaweeds in India. So far, there are more than  800  self-help  groups  (SHGs)  in  Tamil  Nadu  which  have  adopted Kappaphycus cultivation as means of their livelihood. The Seaweed research resulted in to the development of a new seaweed industry generating additional employment opportunities and revenue. The training  programmes  in  seaweed  cultivation  enhanced  the  awareness  and  promoted  the seaweed cultivation in the country. About 5000 fishermen were trained so-far under various schemes, especially in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh.  Bio-stimulant (seaweed sap) and Phycocolloids (carrageenan, agar, agarose) are the value-added products being produced from seaweed. Production of Liquid seaweed plant biostimulants from Sargassum spp. (Indian Patent IN 201811029622)

Cotton Mission : The aim is to develop next-generation transgenic cotton for broad-spectrum resistance to field pests for yield protection.  For the control of the devastating cotton insect pest whitefly, CSIR-NBRI has developed 33 GM cotton lines using its patented gene Tma12. These  GM  cotton  lines  show  significant  tolerance  to  whiteflies.  CSIR-IICT  is  working  to address the problem of pink bollworm (another major cotton insect pest). For the control of whitefly vectored viral diseases in vegetable and horticultural crops, CSIR-National Botanical Research  Institute,  Lucknow  has  developed  a  new  GM  cotton.  This  GM  cotton  attracts whiteflies  and  kills  them.  It  can  guard  several  crops  against  viral  diseases.  The  technology will enable farmers to grow crops without application of pesticides.

Indigenous  Cultivation  of  Heeng  to  reduce  imports: Ferula  assafoetida  (Heeng)  one  of  the  top spices in India is imported from Iran, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan and spends ~100-130 million USD per year. CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur along with ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, has addressed the lack of planting material and agrotechnology, which were major bottlenecks in cultivation. Now the plants have been introduced for cultivation in the country with the first seedlings of heeng panted at Lahaul valley after the Institute successfully conducted experiments with plants and seed germination. Cold desert areas of India such as Lahaul and Spiti, Ladakh, parts of Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh are suitable for cultivation of asafetida and can decrease the imports of Heeng substantially after successful cultivation.

Gaon Ka Pani Gaon Mein: CSIR has led a Mission mode project for developing Village Level  Water  Management  (VLWM)  Plans  for  augmenting  water  resources  in  selected villages.  Mission  on  High-Resolution  Aquifer Mapping  & Management in Arid Regions of North-Western India has also been launched and implemented in association with the Ministry of Jal Shakti under Jal Jeevan Mission. Use of advanced Heliborne geophysical survey and other  scientific  studies  have  been  initiated  under  the  Aquifer  Mapping  Programme  of  the Mission. So far, 1 lakh Sq. Km Heliborne geophysical survey data has been collected in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat.

Electric Tractor named CSIR PRIMA ET11: Considering the need to reduce greenhouse gas  emissions  and  the  eventual  scarce  availability  of  fossil  fuels  shortly,  CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur has  indigenously  designed  and  developed  a  compact  100%  Pure  Electric  Tractor named CSIR PRIMA ET11 mainly to cater small and marginal farmers of India. The entire tractor  has  been  designed  and  manufactured  with  indigenous  components  and  technologies. Another USP of the developed tractor is that it is Women-friendly as to minimize the effort many  mechanical  systems  are  replaced  with  electronic  switches  for  easy  operations.  The farmers can charge the tractor using a conventional home charging socket in 7 to 8 hours and operate  the  tractor  for  more  than  4  hours  at  field.  The  technology  has  been  licensed  to  an Industry for commercialization.

Electric Tiller for Sustainable Farming : The tiller is one of the most crucial farm machines for field operations in agricultural industry. This improved version of electric tiller developed with  an  aim  to  impact  in  elevating  the  economic  conditions  of  small  and  medium  income farmers and further contribute towards country's economic growth by providing an alternative for  conventional  diesel-powered  tillers.    The  Electric  Tiller  prioritizes  user  comfort  and environmental sustainability, boasting enhanced torque, reduced vibration, and zero exhaust emissions.  Equipped  with  electronic  controls  and  ergonomic  handling,  the  Electric  Tiller marks a significant  milestone  in  agricultural  machinery,  aiming  for  a  more  sustainable  and efficient farming future. Technology has been transferred to an industry for commercialization.

Technology  developed  for  reducing  property  loss  due  to  Earthquake  &  natural disasters :  CSIR-CBRI  and  CSIR-SERC  have  been  designing  structures  that  can  withstand earthquakes, and due emphasis and importance are being given to incorporate this aspect in all designs.

Waste to Wealth technologies to supplement the efforts of Swachta Abhiyan :  CSIR has developed many waste to wealth technologies and products such as spent wash from distillery, plastic waste to diesel, industrial solid waste etc. and these technologies are at various stages of implementation with MSMEs, industries and other partners.

Steel  Slag  Valorisation  Technology  for  Conversion  of  Steel  Slag  as  Road  Making Aggregates : CSIR developed the steel slag valorization technology to convert waste steel slag as  road  making  aggregates.  India's  first  six  lane  steel  slag  based  road  connecting  NH-6  to Hazira  port  was  constructed  in  May,  2022  at  Surat,  Hazira,  using  processed  steel  slag aggregates  as  substitute  of  natural  aggregates  in  all  layers  of  bituminous  pavement.  The unique design features Steel Slag Road built through CRRI technology has been inducted in INDIA BOOK of Records and ASIA BOOK of records as First  Steel  Slag  Road.    Border Roads Organisation (BRO) using the CSIR-CRRI technology has laid a one km road in border area of Arunachal Pradesh.

Development  of  Indian  National  Footwear  Sizing  System: CSIR-CLRI  conducted  a nationwide  survey  on  foot  dimensions  of  the  Indian  population  using  3D  Digital  Imaging technique  to  establish  the  Indian  Footwear  Sizing  System.  The  Indian  National  Footwear Sizing  System  that  is  being  developed  will  help  the  populace  to  get  well  fitting  shoes  that adhere to the contours of their feet thus ensuring perfect fit and comfort and also prevent foot debilitations.

3D-Printed Patient-Specific Medical Implants developed: CSIR-CSIO  developed a technology for manufacturing patient-specific medical implants for several human body parts. The technology has been transferred to industry for commercial production and marketing of the product.

CSIR Skill India Initiative: CSIR's Skill India Initiative aims to equip young minds with the necessary technological skills through exposure to CSIR labs. In Phase II (2020-25) of CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative more than 1.10 lakhs individuals have been trained in around 2,460 no.  of  skilling/reskilling/upskilling  training  programmes  as  on  date  across  the  sectors  and disciplines  related  to  scientific  and  industrial  research.    Further,  CSIR  Integrated  Skill Initiative has been on-boarded on Skill India Portal (SIP).

Biomedical  Waste  to  Soil  Additives: CSIR-NIIST  has  developed  a  dual  disinfectionsolidification system that can spontaneously disinfect and immobilize pathogenic biomedical waste such as blood, urine, sputum, body parts, etc, and convert them into value-added soil additives  within  minutes.  Laboratory  disposables,  plastics,  glass,  etc.  are  disinfected  and prepared  for  direct  recycling.  An  automated  equipment  has  been  developed  that  ensures minimal human intervention in handling biomedical waste.

Process for the recovery of low sodium salt: CSIR-CSMCRI has developed a new process for  the  recovery  of  low  sodium  salt  (mixture  of  NaCl  and  KCl).    In  the  new  process,  low sodium  salt of desired composition  is obtained directly by desulphating bittern and manipulating  the  composition  of  crude  carnalite  (KCl.MgCl2.6H2O)  obtained  from  such bittern. The new route is most cost-effective when integrated with production of other marine chemicals or when inexpensive sources of calcium chloride are available. The technology has been demonstrated and licensed to M/s Hindustan Lever Ltd.

Mercury  Remediation  at  Kodaikanal: CSIR-NEERI  has  used  advanced  technology  to remove mercury contamination from a 20-acre thermometer factory site in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. This marks India's first full-scale remediation of a hazardous waste site, with mercury levels  found  up  to  9000  mg/kg  in  a  three-acre  area  of  the  factory.  The  project  involved dismantling and safely disposing of the entire plant machinery. The factory, which was shut down in 2001 due to toxic exposure protests, was located in an eco-sensitive zone.

Nontoxic  coating  formulations: CSIR-CFTRI  developed  two  nontoxic,  OECD  approved coating  formulations  i.e.  sodium  alginate  and  methyl  cellulose  are  developed  for  farm produce.  Along  with  these  environment  friendly  coatings,  electrostatic  sprayer  has  been developed by CSIR CSIO which can be used for coating on farm produce so as to increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables grown by farmers.

Bio-fumigant formulation: A  bio-fumigant  formulation  to  prevent  spoilage  of  stored  food grains from insect pests and the grain storage structure for the efficient long-term storage of grains  without  infestations  was  developed  by  CSIR-CFTRI.  The  developed  bio-fumigant formulation  is  an  alternative  fumigant  to  conventional  phosphine  and  methyl  bromide fumigant insecticides.

Non-toxic, biodegradable material : Non-toxic, biodegradable material has been developed as ethylene scavenger to increase the shelf life of ethylene sensitive fresh farm produce.

Non-toxic,  biodegradable  film :  Non-toxic,  biodegradable  film  as  packaging  material  has been developed as oxygen scavenger to increase the shelf life of packaged foods like bread and bakery items;

Immunomodulatory teas: Immunomodulatory teas from  Munnar, Kangra and Assam region and a combination  of  regional  teas  (CSIR  Tea)  has  been  developed.  The  knowhow  for  processing  for varieties growing in these regions is available with CSIR-IHBT, CSIR-NIIST and CSIR-NEIST.

Medical Devices: The technology and the prototypes of the low cost healthcare devices like Dialysis machine  for  haemodialysis,  Dristiscope,  IoT  enabled  smartphone  based  Hand-held  colposcope, Plasmonic sterilization device etc. has been developed by CSIR-CEERI and CSIR-CSIO which can be taken  up  by  small  industries/MSME  for  use  in  rural/small  town  settings  to  cater  to  the  health  of population.

Point of  care  procedures  and devices :  CSIR-CCMB and CSIR-IGIB has developed three robust and economical Point of care procedures and devices (namely Direct blood/dried blood spot-based  ARMS-PCR, FELUDA based on CRISPR technology and a very simple paperbased  diffusion  test)  were  developed  to  differentiate  between  patients,  carriers  and  normal subjects of Sickle Cell Anemia. The same are now being setup at various centres (Nagpur and Raipur) in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh respectively through sharing the expertise from one dedicated Centre which has developed these protocols. A blood-based cheap genetic testing protocol was developed which can obviate the need for sophisticated tests. This is particularly relevant to rural and tribal areas where Sickle cell disease is more prevalent.

IR technology (both NIR and MIR) based instruments for milk analysis : The affordable yet state-of-the-art IR technology (both NIR and MIR) based instruments for milk analysis, which involved the detection and quantification of all possible adulterants in milk besides the measurement  of  milk  constituents  has  been  developed  by  CSIR-CEERI.  The  Mid  Infrared based  System  detects  adulterants  like  urea,  sugar,  maltodextrin.  Another  device,  Milk Analyser has also been designed and developed for measurement of microbial contamination in  milk,  early  mastitis  detection  and  somatic  cell  measurement in raw milk. The affordable systems are useful in catering to the rural population which are also involved in cattle rearing and milk production.

Region  specific  and  pan  Indian  Dense  and  Nutritious  foods :  Region  specific  and  pan Indian Dense and Nutritious foods has been developed keeping in view of the societal role of CSIR for School children that meet the RDA requirement of nutrients through  Food based approach.

Technology  for  large  scale  recycling  of  parali  (paddy/straw)  and  wheat  straw: CSIRAMPRI, Bhopal has developed a technology for large scale recycling parali (paddy/straw) and wheat straw for manufacturing hybrid green composite particle/fibre boards in pilot scale. The technology  has  already  been  transferred  to  the  Haryana  government  for  commercialization through the MSME sector in the state. The technology was also transferred to a Chandrapur (Maharashtra)-based private unit for commercialization.

Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA) Mission: Under the mission, CSIR in collaboration with State Medical Colleges and clinical centers are involved in Population screening,  genetic testing, carrier  testing,  prenatal  diagnosis  and  genetic  counselling,  treatment  of  identified  patients. More than 2 lakh people have been screened for the disease. CSIR along with Cadila has got the DCGI approval of use of Hydroxyurea in SCA patients.

Zero  Waste  Potash  technology: CSIR  in  collaboration  with  an  engineering  partner  has developed complete technology solution for valorisation of spent wash generated in sugarcane molasses based alcohol distillery. The process allows utilisation of spent wash for production of value-added by products, viz., potash fertiliser, animal feed ingredient etc., while achieving statutory  compliance  with  'zero  liquid  discharge'  norms.  The  process  know-how  has  been licensed  to  M/s  Aurangabad  Distillery  Limited  for  commercialization  which  commissioned the first full-fledged commercial plant at Walchandnagar, Maharashtra.

Dental Implants: A  indigenous dental implant has been designed, developed and successfully validated in human clinical trial. The technology for Dental Implants has been transferred to an industry which has obtained the CE certification in the year 2021 and has commercialized the implants in the name of 'ifix' in India .The Hon'ble PM issued a letter of appreciation for this technology.

Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya, (BND®): CSIR has been engaged in the production of Indian Certified Reference Material (CRMs) Trademarked  as  BHARATIYA  NIRDESHAK DRAVYA, (BND®) by signing a MoU with NABL accredited reference material producers for  the  speedy  production  of  CRMs to  meet  the national  demand. CSIR has initiated CRM production under 'Make in India' initiative for 'cost-effective' production. The availability of SI traceable BNDs® is poised to boost the 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat' initiative and harmonize the quality infrastructure in the country and equip the quality regulatory bodies of almost all the ministries.

Food and Consumer Safety Solutions Mission: The Mission has led to the development of several technologies under various paradigm of food safety. Some of the technologies have been commercialized and several others are under different stages of validation for taking up by the industries or regulatory stakeholders.  The Mission has led to creation of ecosystem where CSIR and regulatory body, FSSAI, will work together to bring affordable technologies for food safety and testing in the market and raise the awareness among consumers.

Solar Energy based Cooking System (Solar Chulha): CSIR-CMERI has developed a Solar Energy based Cooking System (Solar Chulha). The institute has developed three types of solar energy based cooking  systems  (Solar  Chulha),  namely,  (i)  Solar  PV  energy  based  electric  cooking  system;  (ii) Hybrid  solar  PV  and  Biogas  cooking  system;  and  (iii)  Solar  assisted  improved  biomass  cooking system.  Technology  of  solar  PV  energy  based  electric  cooking  system  has  been  transferred  to  two industries on non-exclusive basis for production and commercialization.

Mechanized  Sewage  Cleaning  System: CSIR-Central  Mechanical  Engineering  Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI), Durgapur has developed a mechanized sewage cleaning system for urban  and  local  bodies.    The  machine  is  designed  for  up  to  5,000  people  density  i.e.  best suitable  up  to  300  mm  diameter  and  up  to  a  100-metre  length  of  the  sewer  system.    The scavenging system is very economical and it will help the manual scavengers to enhance their efficiency,  performance  and  also  safeguard  them  against  intrusive  pathogens.  Technology know how has been transferred to two industries for production and commercialization

SARS-CoV2 pandemic and CSIR's contributions towards mitigation: CSIR stayed at the forefront  for  the  development  of  several  key  products  and  technologies  for  mitigation  of COVID-19, and also made progressive advancements with the developed technologies. Some of the notable technologies developed are as under:

- o CRISPR/Cas based paper diagnostic kit (FELUDA);
- o Dry-Swab-Direct-RTPCR Diagnostic;
- o Clinical Trials of Ayurveda based drugs;
- o Process for Remdesivir and Favipiravir;
- o Swasth Vayu Non-invasive Ventilator;
- o Oxygen Concentrator Plants;
- o Make-Shift Hospitals for COVID-19 patients; and
- o UV-C Virus Disinfection System, etc.

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## The significant measures/ initiatives taken by CSIR to instil scientific thinking in Youth is as under:

## CSIR-JIGYASA Program

To  promote  scientific temper  amongst  the school students, CSIR  had  launched  the programme named 'JIGYASA' in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS). The  programme  envisages  opening  up  the  national  scientific  facilities  to  school  children, enabling CSIR scientific knowledgebase and facility to be utilized by school children to instil 'Scientific Thinking' in the young minds. Till date, more than 9,50,000 students and about 29500 teachers have benefitted, directly since the inception of JIGYASA Programme. Taking forward  CSIR's  Jigyasa  program  to  millions  of  school  students,  the  Jigyasa-Virtual  Lab concept  has  been  formalized  in  association  with  IITB,  Mumbai.  The  Virtual  Lab  platform shall  enhance  the  scientific  temper  amongst  school  children  where  the  students  will  read, have fun and carry out experiments and materials which are presented by the CSIR scientists and other stakeholders.

New initiatives undertaken by CSIR to promote scientific temper under JIGYASA Program include launch of CSIR Sign Language Enabled Astronomy Lab and Science Mobile Lab; 70+  Artificial  Intelligence  (AI)  related  Programs  which  were  organized  by  multiple  CSIR Labs across the country during July to August 2023 benefitting more than 9000 students and around 400 teachers; An online talk on the occasion of 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' in which more than 4115 students and 250 teachers from 84 Schools benefitted; A Science Mobile Lab developed  by  CSIR-  CCMB  in  partnership  with  Vishveswarayya  museum  of  Bangalore (under CSIR-Jigyasa and NCSM collaboration)  has been launched to visit urban and rural schools,  colleges  and  hospitals  in  Telangana  and  Andhra  Pradesh  states;  CSIR  JIGYASA Empowering Pupil Innovation and Creativity (EPIC) Hackathon 2024 which invites young and  enthusiastic  school  students  across  India  to  join  in  the  journey  of  developing  their Innovative, scientific and entrepreneurial skills.

## CSIR-Skill India Initiative

CSIR has launched the program on 'Skill India Initiative' which aims to equip young minds with  the  necessary  technological  skills  through  exposure  to  CSIR  laboratories.  In  Phase  II (2020-25)  of  CSIR  Integrated  Skill  Initiative  more  than  1.10  lakhs  individuals  have  been trained in around 2,460 no. of skilling/reskilling/upskilling training programmes as on date across the sectors and disciplines related to scientific and industrial research.  Further, CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative has been on-boarded on Skill India Portal (SIP).

## Capacity Building & Human Resource Development Programme

Under  its  Capacity  Building  &  Human  Resource  Development,  CSIR  has  the  following schemes to promote science and technology research in the country and to foster scientific temperament among youth:

-  To  nurture  the  budding  scientific  talent,  the  CSIR  has  been  awarding  doctoral  and postdoctoral fellowships in area to pursue research in basic science, engineering and pharmaceutical and medicinal sciences;
-  To  promote  interaction  amongst  the  Indians  research  students  and  faculty  with  the internationally  acclaimed  scientists  and  technologists  from  abroad,  CSIR  provides financial assistance to research students to attend the seminars/symposia abroad to present  their  research  work  with  the  objective  to  gain  from  the  experience  and research  of  the  foreign  scientific  fraternity  in  their  specialized  areas.  CSIR  also promote knowledge sharing by way of funding to national/international seminars/symposia by the Indian academic and R&D institutions;
-  CSIR also supports the research proposals from the universities and R&D institutions in frontier areas of science and technology. These extramural research schemes are very fruitful in· building the R& D capabilities which in turn benefits the country in its  scientific  pursuit.  Furthermore,  CSIR  under  its  Emeritus  Scientist  Scheme provides funds to experienced retired scientists to pursue the research and
-  In addition to this, to promote science and technology research in the country and to nurture the budding scientific talent, CSIR has been conducting CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) twice a year for award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Eligibility  for  Lectureship. A large number of science & engineering students are also offered Senior Research Fellowships (SRFs), Research Associateship (RAs) and Senior Research Associateship (SRAs) for pursuing doctoral and postdoctoral research.  CSIR  also  provides  fellowships  to  GATE/GPAT  qualified  candidates  to pursue research in engineering and pharmaceutical and medicinal sciences.

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