Following is the text of the Speech of Union Minister for S&T & Earth Sciences and Vice President of CSIR, Shri Vayalar Ravi at the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations Concluding Ceremony of CSIR-NISCAIR in New Delhi today:
“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate CSIR-NISCAIR on the successful completion of its Diamond Jubilee Year. It is indeed a matter of great pride to have constantly reinvented and repositioned to remain relevant for the nation for sixty long years.
I am happy to note that, today, the research community greatly appreciates the 17 primary and two secondary scientific journals of international repute that are published regularly by CSIR-NISCAIR. The three popular science magazines: Vigyan Prasar in Hindi, Science Reporter in English and Vigyan Ki Duniya in Urdu are contributing greatly to arising the scientific awareness of the citizens. School children, the future of the nation also benefit tremendously from these magazines. I hope this magazine Science Reporter will be published in Regional Languages also, to benefit the people in different States who mostly use their mother language.
One contribution of CSIR, which often does not get the acknowledgement that is its due is the encyclopedic publication called Wealth of India and Bharat Ki Sampada. Aptly named this publication from CSIR-NISCAIR covers all of India’s raw material resources, be it plants, animals or minerals. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote:
"I have no doubt that this book... will be of great value to the builders of new India. It should be of value also in educating the average citizen, who should take interest in this fascinating land and its enormous potentialities".
It is interesting that even in the 21st century, this publication is an authentic source to establish India’s biodiversity and traditional knowledge. It played a major role in backing up India's claim for priority in the US patent case on turmeric; the case that paved the path for the globally appreciated Traditional Knowledge Digital Library project.
It is of great pride that two journals published by the institute namely Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK) and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts (MAPA) have been included in the PCT minimum list.
I believe, in 2012, NISCAIR journals have notched up an increase of more than 41% in Impact Factor over that from the previous year, according to the Journal Citation Reports 2011 (both Science edition and Social Sciences edition) released during the last week of June. Two journals- Indian Journal of Experimental Biology and Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics have even crossed an Impact Factor of 1.0 – a rarity for Indian Journals.
It is a matter of pride for CSIR that the library and documentation services rendered by NISCAIR during these last six decades are appreciated by all the stalwarts of Science & Technology, in private as well as public sector R&D areas all over India. Library and documentation experts have guided thousands of professionals from in and around India so far.
Similarly, the foreign language services provided by NISCAIR has served the S&T community at a highly subsidized rate with higher level of quality and these services have been of great significance not only in translation of important reference documents in the R&D activities, it has served the national purpose during various sensitive diplomatic bilateral and multi-lateral talks.
I would like to make use of this opportunity to convey to all the staff members of CSIR-NISCAIR that they should evolve their working methods, modernize and keep working towards what they excel in – i.e., gathering of S&T information, abstracting and compiling; and disseminating the same to the masses all over, in an easy to understand and comprehend.
I once again congratulate the DG CSIR Dr Brahmachari for guiding this organization; Director CSIR-NISCAIR Dr Gangan Prathap for leading the organization and the staff of NISCAIR for their action on the ground to take the organization to highly appreciable level. Further, I wish CSIR-NISCAIR all the best for a steady, constructive and contributing growth in the post diamond jubilee era.”
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