Annual Report 2004-2005

Overview

As part of the Ministry of Science & Technology, Department of Science & Technology set up on 3rd May, 1971, has been making consistent efforts to keep pace with the changing global science and technology scenario. The various programmes and activities are aiming at encouraging and promoting indigenous science and technology in the country. The highlights during the current year are as follows.

The Science & Engineering Research Council (SERC) continued to support basic & applied research and has sanctioned 252 new projects under the Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at a total cost of Rs.46.20 crores.

Under Nano materials, Science Technology Initiative (NSTI), a Nano Science and Technology Mission (NSTM) is proposed to be launched to give thrust to basic and applied research in this area. Under Chemical Sciences, an Ultra High Vacuum Low Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscope has been indigenously fabricated at I.I.Sc. Bangalore, which worked in magnetic
fields up to 6T. Under Physical Sciences some important issues pertaining to the early Universe and viability of baryogenesis in the Next to Minimal Supersymmetric Model has been checked as part of Observational Cosmology.

In the area of Plant Sciences, projects on Synergistic control of Post Harvest Diseases with Biological, Physical and Chemical Elicitors; Development of technology for sugarcane transformation for á-endotoxin mediated stalk borer resistance and other s have been supported. Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) were investigated for their potential as a source of Restriction endonucleases. Under Engineering Sciences a fast computational procedure was developed for computing the energy margins for the purposes of Dynamic Security Assessment (DSA) in large power grids. An alternative process for manufacturing Connecting Rod of a two-wheeler has been developed by powder forging aiming at fuel savings. New methods for determining the PSD matrix of earthquake excitation that create least favorable response in multi-supported nonlinear systems have been developed based on the method of random vibration and reliability analyses. The issues of seismic vulnerability and retrofit of existing multi-storied buildings, addressed jointly at lIT Madras and SERC Chennai, and over 40 buildings in various urban areas were surveyed and analyzed for seismic vulnerability.

Under Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, projects on modeling and analysis of boundary layer processes in week wind conditions and aerosol vertical profiling at select locations on the East Coast of India using a Micro Pulse LIDAR system were implemented by academic institutions. Second phase of the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX) was conducted successfully to get insights into the intricacies involved in the formation and development of the offshore vortex and warm pool over the Arabian Sea. Under Deep Continental Studies, petromineralogical, geochemical and economic mineralization studies in the Naga Ophiolite complex and their bearing on the nature of deep continental! oceanic crust were studied. Under the Seismicity Program development of remote sensing based geothermic techniques in earthquake studies have been carried out at to lIT, Roorkee. A Satellite Earth Station has been established to study the possible correlation of earthquake occurrence with change in temperature. Study on GIS based subsurface geochemical model of Bangalore aimed at mapping geotechnical data by developing a GIS based subsurface model. A digitized Bangalore map formed the base for this model. A strong database of 2000 boreholes ranging from 3m to 50m, pertaining to subsurface geotechnical properties of soil and rock have been prepared for Delhi based on inputs from various expert. organizations. Under the Mission Mode Project in Seismology upgradation of the National Strong Motion Instrumentation Network -three hundred digital SM instruments are planned to be deployed in Zone V & IV. General R&D capabilities at academic institutions and national laboratories in the areas of Crystal Structure, Robotics, Laser Spectroscopy, Structural Biology, Surface Science & Technology, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Technical Acoustics, Geocentrifuge for Engineering applications etc. have been augmented under IRHP A programme. Following major facilities and schemes have been initiated:

• A National Facility for Texture and Orientation Imaging Microscopy (OIM) at lIT, Mumbai;
• Linear Accelerator with conformal Radiotherapy & Intensity Modulation Radiotherapy Facility at SGPGIMS, Lucknow;
• Nanophosphor Application Center (NAC) at Allahabad University;
  
• Upgradation of National Facility for Biomedical Research at AIIMS, New Delhi;
  
• High Resolution NMR Central Facility at ACBR, University of Delhi;
  
• Approval of a Synchrotron Facility in India - DST Beam Line for Biological systems;
  
• Scheme on ‘Continuous Nurture scheme for young scientists with excellent Track Record’;
  
• Ramanna Fellowship for performing scientist having a track record of significant research achievements.

Under International Science & Technology Cooperation, thrust was given to bilateral regional and multilateral co-operations. Joint centers of excellence, collaborative project in specific areas and Networking research program have been taken up. Exploratory visits of about 50 scientists for facilitating contacts; 35 joint workshops for identifying mutual topics of interest; about 380 exchange visit based projects for collaborative work in laboratories of partner countries; about 40 major joint collaborative activities (including establishment of incremental facilities, centers of excellence, networked research, research training groups and partner groups as extended laboratories in India) were supported. About 15 visits were supported for scientists to go abroad and utilize major international research facilities abroad. About 80 fellowships/training stints/awards were extended to young scientists from India as well as abroad. DST (along with DAE) continued it’s funding of the two collaborative projects at CERN, Geneva to participate in two major experiments at the upcoming Large Hadron Collider.

The Center for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Center) organized four Workshops with the participation of developing country members in the area of Mineral Resources and Development at Kerman, Iran; VLSI and Microsystems Technology at Cario Egypt; Culture of science, Technology and innovation in society in Bogota, Colombia and Changing role of Science Centers and Museums in Developing Countries at Hanoi, Vietnam.

The infrastructure development was given greater thrust through schemes like support to analytical instruments Facilities (SAIF). Major SAIFs are equipped with sophisticated analytical instruments such as Scanning Electron Microscopes.

Transmission Electron Microscopes, Electron Probe Micro Analyzer, Mass Spectrometers, ICP, NMR, EPR Spectrometers, X-ray Diffractometers, Thermal Analysis Systems etc. to meet the needs of users in various areas of science & technology. A new Facility has been set up at Sophisticated Test & Instrumentation Center (STIC) located within Cochin University of Science & Technology campus. Fund for improvement of S&T infrastructure in universities and higher educational institutions scheme, which has been launched by DST in 2000-2001, provided financial support to University departments and Colleges for creating basic infrastructure & enabling facilities for promoting high quality teaching and R&D in new and emerging areas.

Under social programmes core support has been extended to eleven voluntary organizations for need based S&T interventions. Center for Indian Knowledge Systems (CIKS), a science based field group is making efforts to explore and develop the contemporary relevance and applications of traditional Indian knowledge systems. During the year, biological integration of farming activities and resources management has been initiated at 15 locations involving science and technology based field groups from different agro climatic regions. Programmes related to Science and Technology Application for the Weaker Sections have been supported on floricultures and nursery training for income generation and demonstration of pearl culture technology to create scientific and technical expert manpower in weaker sections of the society. 34 new projects have been sanctioned under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) scheme. National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) continued to foster entrepreneurship among S&T persons through its programmes and activities taken up earlier. New initiatives include Entrepreneurship awareness camp, Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDPs) and faculty development programme (FDPs). During the year 40 FDPs to train teachers of science/engineering colleges and polytechnics were organized. Technology Innovation Management Entrepreneurship and Information Service (TIME IS) has been developed and put on the web. Catalytic core support was provided to State S&T councils.

Under Technology development programme, priority has been given to drug & pharmaceuticals research & development efforts, public-private partnerships, setting up of national facilities in emerging technology areas and support to joint technology projects with various socio-economic ministries for strengthening the technological capabilities in the country. In the area of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceutical Research and Development Support Fund (PRDSF) has been set up. Under this fund, the Government has created an initial corpus of Rs 150 crores. A national facility on Pharmainformatics is also established at National Institute of Pharmaceuticals Education and Research (NIPER), Chandigarh.

A National Facility for Semi Solid Forming (NSSF) has been established at Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore with the financial support from Department of Mines, DST and DRDO aiming at development of semi solid forming technology for aluminum and its alloys for the Indian scenario. Industrially oriented R&D for steel sector was supported to study various tolerable Indian non-coking coal sources with the aim of maximizing the usage of domestic non-coking coal in the COREX process at Jindal Vijaynagar Steel Limited jointly by Ministry of Steel and DST. Under joint technology system, studies on bio-molecular electronics & conducting polymers, aimed to catalyze and support technology feasibility and development projects in the area of bio-molecular electronics, conducting polymer electronics and biosensors. Joint projects are undertaken in the area of Water Purification, Information & Communication Technology Systems,Biodegradable/ bio-medical Polymers and Alternate Fuels.

The Technology Development Board (TDB) administers the Fund for Technology Development and Application. It continued to provide equity capital and concluded 23 agreements commercial application of indigenous technology or adapting imported technology for wider domestic applications. Technology Day A wards functions was held on 30th June 2004. Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) is a system evolved by OECD, used for achieving the above goals. The OECD Principles of GLP have been internationally accepted. In India, National GLP compliance Monitoring Authority has been set up for issue of national certifications.

The need for high quality S&T manpower for development of expertise in basic and applied research is well recognized. Department of Science and Technology has been supporting a number of programmes for S&T Manpower Training at various levels. Under SERC, 15 training schools were organized in emerging areas of science and technology at different institutions. Other initiatives include Fast Track Scheme For Young Scientists, Sawam Jayanti Fellowship, Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY), Science Olympiads, PROBE programe for children in Secondary Schools and Scheme for Committed Young Professionals. Specific S&T Programme for Empowerment of Women have been initiated with a view to promote development and adaptation of appropriate technology, transfer of proven technologies and demonstration of live technology models to benefit women. A Women Scientists Scheme has been instituted to provide opportunities to women scientists to work as bench-level scientists including those who have had to suffer breakls in their career.

Year 2004 was designated as the Year of Scientific Awareness (YSA) and programmes were launched to spread scientific awareness and scientific thinking all around in the country. Exhibitions were organized using video conferencing facility at IGNOU, New Delhi. National Competitions were organized for designing a mascot and for posters, slogans and photography as part of this campaign. The 12th National Children congress was held at Guwahati attended by over 1000 children, teachers & scientists. National Science Day 2004 was celebrated by most States and Union Territories, including Scientific Departments, Agencies and DST aided Institutions throughout the country. “Open day” lectures by eminent scientists, seminars, quizzes and competitions, etc., formed part of the celebrations.

Management information system is important to generate database on R&D and other scientific & technological activities in the country. Under NSTMIS, S&T Resources Studies, Information System and Database Activities have been carried out. Information on 2304 new R&D projects approved by 19 central government departments/agencies during 2001-02 has been compiled. Out of total cost of Rs.444.96 crores, share of academic sector was 48% and national laboratories 38%. NRDMS helps in networking and developing methodology for building use of spatial data management in local level planning. New GIS district database centres have been set up. Programmes on Creating Awareness about Applications of Geo-Informatics for Local problem solving and Coastal Zone Resource Management have been taken up.

In addition to above, eighteen autonomous institutions under the Department of Science & Technology have been supported to undertake research and development initiatives in the areas of their specialized responsibilities. Many of these institutions came into existence before the independence. The latest addition is Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences devoted to basic scientific research at the highest level in frontier areas of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Physics including Climate Change, came into being in this year at Nainital. The other scientific research and facilitator institutions are: Agharkar Research Institute, Pune; Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow; Bose Institute, Kolkata; Center for Liquid Crystal Research, Bangalore; Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata; Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore; Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai; Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune; International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Hyderabad; Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore; Raman Research Institute, Bangalore; S.N.Bose National Center for Basic Sciences, Kolkata; Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram; Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun; National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), New Delhi; Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), New Delhi and Vigyan Prasar (VP), New Delhi. TIF AC continued to provide thrust to mission projects on Sugar Technology, Fly Ash Utilization and Advanced Composites. A new thrust is given to Umbrella Scheme on Technology Vision 2020 Projects in Mission Mode

The Department provides scientific services in the area of Meteorology, Mapping and Survey through national organizations viz., India Meteorological Department, National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organization, National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting and Survey of India. Through technology intervention, these have taken up activities pertaining to national weather and climate related advisories, planning and publication of Atlases/ Maps. A new map policy has been drafted to make the maps and map data easily available and accessible to all for all areas of the country with out any restriction. Support to national academies and professional bodies, such as Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore; Indian National Academy of Engineering, New Delhi; Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi; Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata and National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad has been given to carry out promotional activities.