145;Finishing schools146; for engineers

In the absence of a deemed university status, the CSIR-AIST will, as of now, not be able to award PhDs to research scholars working in various CSIR laboratories, but instead act as a 8216;finishing school8217; for fresh engineering graduates who can be groomed to be absorbed within the CSIR.

8220;Unless we focus on developing quality human resource, we would not be relevant. We need people with multi-dimensional skills to occupy future scientific space. So we have decided to create a separate wing for human resource development that will impart trans-disciplinary knowledge to the best scientific brains with an aim to create maximum intellectual property for the country,8221; said Prof Samir Kumar Brahmachari, director general of CSIR.

The engineering 8216;finishing schools8217; of CSIR-AIST are initially being set up in Chennai, Durgapur, Pilani and in either Delhi or Roorkee. Ultimately, the idea is to have an AIST attached to each of the 37 CSIR laboratories with a pan-India university status for advanced scientific training, in order to meet the growing shortfall of skilled manpower in industries.

According to Ernst and Young-EDG 2008 report on 8216;Globalising Higher Education in India8217;, there was a 58 per cent shortfall of engineers and 80 per cent shortfall of doctorate scientists in the country. It is here that the CSIR-AIST is hoping to make a difference. The CSIR has a total strength of 4,500 scientists, more than 1000 of whom are actively involved in knowledge generation. In 2007, CSIR produced 3,800 publications. About 400 PhDs emerge out of CSIR labs ever year.

The need for setting up an educational arm of CSIR was felt due to some other reasons as well. About 2,200 junior and senior research fellows work fulltime in these laboratories while pursuing their PhDs. To obtain their PhDs, however, these research scholars have to enroll themselves in the nearby universities. This often causes logistical difficulties for the researches. Then, many of CSIR laboratories are located in places where no decent universities exist.

Realising this, former director general of CSIR, R A Mashelkar, who has been a vocal supporter of research-led universities on the lines of Harvard and MIT, mooted the proposal for granting deemed university status to CSIR laboratories in 2002. The proposal also found favour with a committee appointed by the UGC to look into the matter.

However, a number of vice-chancellors were reported to be opposed to the move, apparently because it would rob their universities of a major share of PhDs that they currently award. They were also apprehensive that the CSIR would wean away the brightest students and teachers.

But as Prof Brahmachari pointed out, such fears are mostly unfounded. He said the move was aimed at luring the students and teachers headed for foreign universities in search for better research facilities. Having a world-class research-led university at CSIR would also help in raising the bar for other universities in the country.

8220;If India is to compete internationally and be the innovation hub of the world, we need much more trained manpower, many more engineering PhDs. CSIR-AIST can be a possible solution in this regard,8221; Prof Brahmachari said. India produces about 5,000 PhDs annually.

8220;For a billion-plus population, this is utter shame. We should be producing at least 50,000, may be more,8221; said Mashelkar.

CSIR 038; its functioning

The Council of Scientific 038; Industrial Research CSIR, India was constituted in 1942 as an autonomous body under the provision of the Registration of Societiesnbsp;Actnbsp;XXI ofnbsp;1860. The council, through its constituent laboratories, has helped the country in increasing the economic growth and industrialisation. The council has also helped the creation of new schools of research and in enlarging facilities for research by means of grants, training of research personnel, etc. It is perhaps among the world8217;s largest publicly funded R038;D organisation. It has a chain of 38 world-class R038;D establishments with their 80 field stations spread across India.

CSIR8217;s aim: 8220;To provide scientificnbsp;industrial R038;D that maximises the economic, environmental and societal benefits for the people of India8221;