Annual Report 2005-2006

Scientific Research

Science & Engineering Research Council

The Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) mechanism continued its programmes to promote research and development in interdisciplinary and frontier areas of Science & Engineering in the country. The existence of SERC has not only sustained the scientific communities interest in basic research but has given the Indian Scientists working in basic & fundamental research an opportunity to make their presence felt at a global level. It continued its support to research projects in challenging and promising fields. As in the previous years programmes under SERC are carefully selected through the concept of Programme Advisory Committees (PAC) and it played a pro-active role in identifying challenging areas of research and supported proposals with defined objectives in these areas.

The Council, so far, has met thrice during the period and has approved projects in various broad areas of Science & Engineering. To encourage R&D programmes, the following issues were discussed and recommended:

i) Introduction of services of national/international experts in relevant field on contractual basis for a limited period for successful implementation of SERC projects.
ii) S&T intervention for Judicial Process.
iii) Support to intensified research on 'Science of Shallow Subsurface'
iv) Enhancement of budget for Travel & Contingency in SERC projects.

The following new Research Fellowships were launched during the year:

• Ramanna Fellowships - Continuous support to outstanding Indian scientists with no age bar
• Ramanujan Fellowships - To attract outstanding scientists and engineers from all over the world to take up scientific research in our country
• J.C Bose Fellowships - To recognize and support active, performing Indian scientists & engineers

Under the SERC R&D programme 253 projects were sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 4621.20 lakhs. The discipline-wise and institution-wise break-up of funds is given in Figures 2.1 & 2.2.

R&D Projects sanctioned during 2005-2006

Broad Area	No of Projects	Sanctioned Cost(Rs in Lakhs)
Chemical Sciences	52	1116.20
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences	13	105.80
Engineering Sciences	53	954.60
Life Sciences	92	1754.20
Mathematical Sciences	11	103.40
Physical Sciences	32	587.00
Total	253	4621.20

Figure 2.1: SERC Support - Discipline Wise 2005-2006

Figure 2.2: SERC Support - by type of Institution 2005-2006

Some of the new projects supported are in the areas like : Organic Synthesis, Condensed Matter Physics; Materials Science & Engineering, Plant Sciences; Phase Transition; Bioorganic Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, Plasma Physics, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Lasers, Optics, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Materials Chemistry, Health Science, Animal Science, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Organometallic Chemistry, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Mineral Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Robotics & Manufacturing Engineering and Civil & Mechanical Engineering etc. The Website for the SERC is being maintained for the benefit of scientific community.

India Science Award

Professor C. N. R. Rao has been selected for the first award (India Science Award 2004). The award carries a gold medal, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 25 lakhs.

Nano Science and Technology Initiative (NSTI)

During the year, National Expert Committee on Nano Science & Technology Initiative (NSTI) was reconstituted. Multifaceted activities including project support to individual scientists, core group support, setting up of Centres of Nano Technology were carried out under the NSTI programme. Support to ongoing R&D projects sanctioned under NSTI (Phase - I & Phase - II) was continued during the year. A number of individual proposals with an applied bias spreading in various areas of Nanoscience & Technology have been implemented.

Five Units on Nano Science have been sanctioned in the current financial year making a total of 11 such Units across the country. Nanoscience centric research in the region will be boosted with the functioning of these centres. Centres offer sophisticated facilities for quality nanoresearch and can deliver trained manpower in the area. In addition, six Centres for Nano Technology have been approved in specific application areas across the country. In addition, a Centre for Computational Materials Science is also approved.

In a direction to further enhance the visibility of India in Nano Science & Technology a Nano Science and Technology Mission (NSTM) has been launched this year to give the desired thrust to research and technology development in this area. Several programmes and projects have been identified.