Scientific research must translate into jobs, startups, societal benefit: Dr Jitendra

New Delhi, Jan 6: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, PMO, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, Jitendra Singh, Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at Anusandhan Bhawan, here.
During the meeting, the Minister lauded CSIR’s efforts and plans to develop indigenous capabilities in critical aerospace technologies, with a future bearing on the country’s self-reliance in the aviation sector as well as overall economic growth.
Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, N. Kalaiselvi, presented CSIR’s forward-looking roadmap, outlining key programmes and initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s science and technology ecosystem in alignment with the national vision of Viksit Bharat. She highlighted CSIR’s focus on mission-oriented research, institutional reforms, and translation of scientific outputs into outcomes with direct societal and economic relevance.
A major highlight of the presentation was the Aerospace related projects. Dr. Kalaiselvi explained that a mission-mode programme is being envisaged to build indigenous capabilities in critical aerospace technologies, enhance strategic self-reliance, and safeguard sensitive design and knowledge domains. She underlined that the plan is designed to support India’s long-term development goals by strengthening high-end R&D, promoting innovation-led growth, and reducing external dependencies in strategic sectors, key pillars of the Viksit Bharat vision.
The Minister reviewed progress across a range of CSIR initiatives and deliberated on ways to further enhance the effectiveness, relevance, and impact of publicly funded research. He emphasised that scientific programmes must increasingly be assessed and communicated in terms of their real-world impact, including contribution to employment generation, entrepreneurship, industrial scale-up and societal well-being, particularly for the youth.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted the importance of a decentralised and structured communication outreach strategy for CSIR. He advised that CSIR’s 37 laboratories across the country should play a proactive role in showcasing their achievements by engaging directly with media, stakeholders, industry, and local communities. The focus, he noted, should be on clearly conveying how laboratory-led innovations are translating into tangible benefits on the ground, rather than remaining confined to technical narratives.
Highlighting the need for a refreshed narrative, the Minister called for greater emphasis on success stories related to startups, technology deployment, job creation, and sectoral impact, so that the value of scientific research is better appreciated by citizens and policy stakeholders alike. (PIB)