Physical Sciences and Engineering

Physical Sciences and Engineering

A new observatory set up by the S N Bose Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBCBS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, atop the Panchet Hill in the Garpanchakot area of Purulia district in West Bengal will significantly help in scientific observations of astronomical objects, training students in handling telescopes and recording data, generating national and international collaboration in astronomical research and most importantly, to fill in the longitudinal gap.

The observatory at a height of 600 meters above ground level and at longitude of approximately 86° E, will be a major observatory not only in eastern India, but also in the world. Along the 86 degrees East longitude stretching from the Arctic Ocean in the north to Antarctica in the south, there are very few observatories. This observatory will fill that gap. Renowned astrophysicist and Vice Chancellor of Ashoka University opines that in order to observe transient astronomical phenomena lasting a few minutes to a few hours, it is important to have good observatories on all the longitudes of the globe. Therefore, the Panchet observatory is strategically positioned.

S.N. Bose Centre has signed an MOU with the Sidhu Kanu Birsa University for joint responsibility of running the observatory and sharing resources.

At the virtual inauguration at the SKB University, Dr. Tanusri Saha-Dasgupta, Director of S.N. Bose Centre, said that this was a moment of pride for the Centre and she was hopeful that the Centre will be able to make significant contribution to the body of knowledge in observational astronomy.

Shri Viswajit Sahay, Financial Adviser of Department of Science and Technology, who graced the inaugural ceremony, said that an observatory always creates its own ecosystem in its vicinity and the Panchet observatory too holds this promise.

Dr Pabitra Kumar Chakrabarty, Vice Chancellor of SKB University said that an observatory of this standard in Purulia, which is considered as a backward district of West Bengal, could be a great source of encouragement to the students of the University.

The work which involved conceptualization, layout and initiation of the observatory by Dr. Ramkrishna Das, Dr. Soumen Mandal and Dr. Tapas Baug, all three from the Department of Astrophysics of SNBNCBS, started after the formal acquisition of land in 2018. Their work included site characterization, determining astronomical ‘seeing’ and weather parameters and installation of a 14-inch telescope for scientific observations.

Dr. B.N. Jagtap, Chairman of the Governing Body of the SNBCBS, Shri Vivek Pankaj, SDO of Raghunathpur and scientists from SNBCBS participated in the virtual as well as on site inauguration of the observatory.

Physical Sciences and Engineering

New observatory at remote Purulia district West Bengal is expected to contribute significantly to Astrophysics

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, conducted the fifth webinar in its Biofoundry and Bio manufacturing Initiative series on 13th January. The session focused on “Bio manufacturing for Climate Resilient Agriculture,” a critical domain under the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment) Policy. Approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2024, the BioE3 Policy aims to position India as a global leader in bio-based innovations. It focuses on promoting sustainable bio manufacturing in diverse thematic areas including climate resilient agriculture, supporting economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability.

The webinar provided a platform for academia, industry leaders, start-ups, and researchers to discuss advancements as well as opportunities in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The discussions underscored the growing importance of climate resilience in Agriculture to sustain yields, improve quality while safeguarding the environment and ensure safe food for our future generations. The entire value chain starting from production, processing, consumption and waste management needs to be revamped to acquire maximum efficiency reduce wastage.

Dr. Vaishali Panjabi, Scientist ‘F’, DBT, emphasized that the BioE3 Policy’ vision is to galvanize high-performance bio manufacturing for sustainable green growth. She stated that the BioE3Policy will position the country as a leader in biotech led solutions for the critical challenges in diverse sectors and set country towards a sustainable future, a profitable economic milieu while safeguarding environment. She informed that the fifth webinar in this series focuses on building climate resilience in the Agriculture sector, a critical vertical under the policy, stating, “Agriculture embodies the spirit of human survival, yet it is both a significant contributor to climate change and deeply vulnerable to its impacts. This dual challenge calls for urgent and renewed efforts to explore sustainable, biotechnology-driven solutions that can transform the sector—ensuring we meet global food and feed demands, reduce environmental impact and drive India’s bio economy.”

Dr. Sumita Kumari, Scientist ‘D’, DBT, provided an overview of the thematic sector, discussing the applications and potential of bio manufacturing in transforming Agriculture sector in the country. She highlighted the role of sustainable practices and disruptive technologies in harnessing the rich bio resources diversity within the country for embedding climate resilience in agriculture.

Dr. Gopaljee Jha, from the Plant microbe interactions lab at NIPGR, New Delhi, delved into how India can leverage its vast bio resources pool to develop bio-based solutions for sustaining agriculture production systems amidst changing climate. He outlined strategies to catalyze indigenous solutions for improving plant productivity through microbial and plant systems, scale up manufacturing capacities, and leverage advanced technologies like synthetic biology and AI/ML to enhance microbial chassis for novel bio protectants, bio stimulants and bio fertilzers for sustaining plant yields.

Dr. Renuka Diwan, Co-founder and CEO, Bioprime Agri solutions Pvt Ltd., presented an industry perspective on the bio manufacturing requirements for building climate resilience in agriculture. She discussed the various facets of sourcing raw material, standardization, process optimization and yield enhancement. Dr. Diwan also highlighted how the BioE3 Policy is fostering an enabling environment for long-term growth and global competitiveness in the Agriculture sector. She also highlighted the technology requirements for bio manufacturing scale-up and importance of financial support channels & incentives to steer these efforts.

The session concluded with a vibrant Q&A segment moderated by DBT and BIRAC officials. Participants actively engaged with the experts, discussing challenges and opportunities in bio manufacturing for climate resilience and addressing regulatory considerations.

Physical Sciences and Engineering

Department of Biotechnology Hosts the Fifth Webinar in its Webinar Series on Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry Initiative on the Theme “Biomanufacturing for Climate Resilient Agriculture”

The two day international conference is being organized by the National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR),a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The conference will be Commemorating the institute’s4th Foundation Day Celebrations. NIScPR focuses on science communication and evidence based policy studies, acting as a bridge between science, technology, industry and society. The two-day conference intends to bring together leading experts, policymakers, scholars, researchers to discuss the emerging issues in contemporary research and challenges in performance evaluation for R&D governance. The conference will have the following key themes: Methods, Approaches, and Practices in Performance valuation, Open Science, Open Source & Open Access, Measuring the Social Impact of Connecting R&D and Social Media, and Foresight in R&D Governance. The conference will also deliberate upon how in more robust ways performance and impact of government programs can be captured, the critical inputs that can strengthen these initiatives.

The conference is expected to be attended by 300 participants with leading experts from India and abroad speaking on different sessions of the conference. Many young researchers will presenting papers and posters. India’s top scientists and policy makers will address the conference. Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, President, INSA, Institute Chair Professor & C. V. Seshadri Chair Professor, IIT Kanpur, Former Secretary, DST, Govt. of India will deliver the Chief Guest address. Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) will deliver the Foundation Day Lecture.

Experts from the NITI AaYOG, Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt. of India, and from reputed academic institutions will address this conference. Along with keynote and invited talks, there will be panel sessions and paper presentations. International experts speaking on the conference will be from France, Russia, South Korea, the Netherlands, Brazil, Australia, and Armenia. Science councilors from Germany, Mexico and The Netherlands will also attend and be on the panel. Conference is structured to bring diversity and involve the participants in engaging discussions through keynote and invited talks, panel sessions among others.

The conference is expected to bring out novel methods and practices for performance evaluation and impact assessment of R&D. It will bring out some key policy suggestions of how R&D governance, access and inclusion can be strengthened by proper application of the STI indicators. The deliberations on new initiatives like PM One-Nation-One-Subscription will also be reflected in the final document. The conference will expose young researchers to various nuances of evidence based policy making, the tools and techniques and shaping their research to address developmental challenges. The outcome of the conference will be published in different formats, from a dedicated special journal issue to a policy bulletin and book proceedings.

Physical Sciences and Engineering

CSIR-NIScPR is organizing two day International Conference on “Aligning Science-Technology-Innovation Indicators for Effective R&D Governance” from January 14th-15th 2025

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