Annual Report 2005-2006

Infrastructure Development

Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure in Universities and Higher Educational Institutions (FIST)

FIST - Fund for improvement of S&T infrastructures in universities and higher educational institutions scheme was started way back in the 2000 for augmenting PG teaching and research activities in all science departments of Universities, Colleges and other academic Institutions in the country. It is an unique scheme in which emphasis is given on overhaul up gradation of the concerned departments for imparting high quality teaching and for carrying out research at par with International standards. The basic objective of this scheme is to enhance the capability of all such departments either engaged in PG teaching or actively involved in research activities so that more students can be attracted to pursue their carrier in higher studies in new and emerging areas.

The Program generally extends support in six broad subject areas of S&T i.e. Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences & Mathematical Sciences through two levels of support. Since inception of the FIST scheme, during last 4 years more than 750 departments spread over to 204 academic institutions have been identified at a total support of about Rs 345 crores. Financial support to the projects (221 nos.) identified in the year 2000, have been completed and except few most of the departments have completed the process of acquiring equipment, renovation of the existing laboratories and setting up of computer laboratories. The FIST 2000 supported departments would be completing their tenure of five years by next year.

For the purpose of Review of the projects, all these projects are broadly classified in three categories viz. Category 'A' (support of more than Rs 50.0 lakh), Category 'B' (support of in between Rs 25.0 lakh and Rs 50.0 lakh) and Category 'C' (support of less than Rs 25.0 lakh). While all 221 projects identified and supported during the year 2000, were already reviewed on the above guidelines, the similar exercise have been used for reviewing 238 projects identified under FIST 2002 scheme. The review of projects under Category 'B' and Category 'C' have been completed and graded depending upon their performance. Review process for Category 'A' projects (70 nos) are being under taken and is expected to complete by December 2005/January 2006.

In the current year, the process of identification of departments for support under FIST scheme has been completed and the support to these freshly identified departments shall be made in the current financial year. Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF)

Sophisticated analytical instruments are vital for pursuing research in many areas of modern science and technology. Many institutions in the country do not have such instruments. These instruments are expensive and cannot be provided through individual project mechanism. The Department of Science & Technology has set up Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIFs) in different parts of the country to provide the facilities of sophisticated analytical instruments to the research workers in general and specially from the institutions which do not have access to such instruments through its Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF) programme to enable them to pursue R&D activities requiring such facilities and keep pace with developments taking place globally. At present thirteen Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIFs) are being supported by DST at IIT, Chennai; IIT, Mumbai; Bose Institute, Kolkata; CDRI, Lucknow; Panjab University; Chandigarh; NEHU, Shillong; Nagpur University; Nagpur; IISc., Bangalore; AIIMS, New Delhi, Gauhati University, Guwahati; IIT, Roorkee, CVM, Vallabh Vidyanagar and Sophisticated Test & Instrumentation Centre (STIC), Kochi.

Analytical Instrument Facilities Available at the SAIFs

The 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. Some of the major instruments installed at the SAIFs during the year are: 400 MHz FT-NMR Spectrometer at SAIF, Lucknow (Figure 4.1), Transmission Electron Microscope at SAIF, Chandigrah (Figure 4.2), LC-Mass Spectrometer at SAIF, Shillong (Figure 4.3), X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer at the SAIF, Guwahati (Figure 4.4) and Thermal Analysis System (DTA/TGA) at SAIF, Mumbai. The following instruments are further being added to the existing SAIFs to strengthen them: Single Crystal X-ray Diffractometer and GC-Mass Spectrometer at the SAIF, Chennai, 400 MHz FT-NMR Spectrometer at the SAIF, Chandigarh and FT-IR Spectrometer (range: 50-400cm-1) at the SAIF, Lucknow. Accessories including Microwave sample preparation system for SEM and Microwave digestion system for ICP-AES are also being added to the existing instruments at the SAIFs at Chandigarh and Vallabh Vidyanagar respectively to meet the needs of research workers. The SAIFs over the years have acquired the capabilities of repair and maintenance of instruments and majority of the instruments with them are being maintained in-house.

Figure 4.1 - 400 MHz FT-NMR Spectrometer at the SAIF, Lucknow	Figure 4.2 - Transmission Electron Microscope at the SAIF, Chandigrah

Figure 4.3 - LC-Mass Spectrometer at the SAIF, Shillong	Figure 4.4 - X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer at the SAIF, Guwahati

Services Provided/Other Activities Undertaken

Analytical services

• A wide range of sophisticated analytical instrument facilities/techniques were provided by the SAIFs to the research workers. The instrument facilities at the SAIFs met the analytical needs of scientists in various areas of science & technology, enabling them to pursue research in frontline areas.
• Facilities and assistance for sample preparation were provided to the users. Testing of quality of raw material and end-products was also done for industries/users.
• About 8,100 scientists/users from all over the country utilized the facilities during the year including research workers from almost all the universities in the country. About 75% of the users were from academic sector.
• About 94,000 samples were analyzed at the Facilities during the year.
• Consultancy services like solution to analytical problems including development of analytical methods for specific needs, sampling problems, spectrum analysis and interpretation of results etc. were also offered by the SAIFs.

Short term courses/training programmes/workshops

Short term courses/training programmes/workshops were organized by the SAIFs on use and application of various instruments and analytical techniques to create awareness among the research community about them and on maintenance/repair/operation of the instruments for technicians. Some of the training programmes/workshops organized during the year are as follows:

• Workshop on "Electron Microscopy" by SAIF, Mumbai.
• Training programmes on Electron Microscopy for research workers/technical personnel by SAIF,New Delhi.
• International workshop on 'Recent trends in solid state NMR in biological systems' by SAIF, Bangalore.
• A national school on "A new dimension to NMR: from molecules to human behaviour" by SAIF, Bangalore.
• Workshop on 'NMR Spectroscopy' by SAIF, Shillong.
• Workshop on "Sample preparation for chemical/material analysis" by SAIF, Kochi.
• Refresher course on Optical spectroscopy by SAIF, Chennai.
• Six research workers were trained in operation/maintenance of various analytical instruments including Mass Spectrometer, NMR Spectrometer, CHN Analyzer, IR & UV Spectrometers, GLC & HPLC etc. at SAIF, Lucknow.

New measurement/analytical techniques developed/unique measurements done

Some of the new measurement/analytical techniques developed/unique measurements done at the SAIFs are as follows:

- A novel methodology to simplify the analysis of spectra of oriented molecules by heteronuclear MQT (with NMR spectroscopy) has been developed at SAIF, Bangalore.

- A methodology for determination of 15N - 1H and 13C - 1H dipolar coupling in the natural aboundance of rare spins using inverse experiments (with NMR spectroscopy) has been developed at SAIF, Bangalore.

- 2D - LGOR techniques sequence to determine chemical shifts of individual proton with oriented phase (in NMR spectroscopy) has been developed at SAIF, Bangalore.

- Heteronuclear correlation experiments (in NMR spectroscopy) have been standardized for solids at SAIF, Bangalore. With the help of these experiments, it is possible to get 1H shifts in solids.

- New two dimensional experiments for enantiomeric determination of chiral solutes (in NMR spectroscopy) have been implemented at SAIF, Bangalore.

- Estimation of U & Th in trace quantities with XRF has been established at SAIF, Bangalore at SAIF, Guwahati.

- A new software (MENEXSYS) has been developed based on multivariate analysis including metabolites identified from the 1H NMR spectrum of CSF of children along with clinical parameters for differential diagnosis of meningitis in children, at SAIF, Lucknow.

R&D work resulting from the use of the facilities

NMR driven solid phase syntheses of privilege molecules were carried out using various two dimensional COSYDQF, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HSQC, HMBC, HSQMBC, DOSY and T2 -diffusion filtered spectroscopy at SAIF, Lucknow. Seminar/Symposia & Assistance to Professional Bodies

The scheme for seminar/symposia and assistance to professional bodies aims at providing platform for interaction among scientists. The programme provides grant-in-aid for holding national/international seminars/symposia, conferences, workshops, and for publishing journals etc.

Many national and international conferences were supported during the year 2005-2006 in different disciplines of science and technology. Grant-in-aid was also provided for a few important journals published by a number of Professional Bodies/Societies.