International Women’s Day was celebrated at CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC) and CSIR - Madras Complex (CMC), Chennai, during 8-20 March 2025 with the concluding function on 20 March 2025. Dr. Purnima Jalihal, Scientist G, Head of Energy and Fresh Water Group, National Institute of Ocean Technology, and Smt. Hema Chandrasekhar, Senior Vice President, Northern Trust Corporation, were the chief guests of the function.

Accelerate Action was the theme for International Women’s Day 2025. Dr. N. Anandavalli, Director, CSIR-SERC and Coordinating Director, CMC, in her welcome address said that women’s day is celebrated to showcase the achievements of women and briefed on the early achievers who set the path for women in the respective fields. She also stressed on the need to achieve gender parity and said that at present 25% of CSIR-SERC’s scientists are women and the organizations is slowly moving towards equal representation. Dr. P Kamatchi, Chief Scientist, CSIR-SERC, gave the report on the International Women’s Day Celebrations at the campus, highlighting the various activities, events, competitions and celebrations organized as a part of the International Women’s Day Celebrations in the campus.

 

Dr. Ajita Kumari, Senior Scientist, CSIR-NML, CMC, introduced the chief guest Dr. Purnima Jalihal to the audience. Dr. Jalihal, delivered her talk titled Harnessing Energy & Water from the Oceans – The Challenges as a Woman Scientist and Engineer. In her talk she spoke on the various activities of NIOT, its core areas of work, ocean resources and blue economy, ocean energy forms, wave powered desalination, ocean energy thermal conversion, desalination projects, etc. She also briefed on her role as a scientist and engineer in significant projects of NIOT that touched the lives of common people, including Kavaratti desalination plant and desalination plants across the Lakshadweep Islands, creation of Saline Water Lantern, etc. She also shared a glimpse of her early life as a lone woman civil and structural engineering student, her field works and the challenges she faced as a woman scientist and engineer.

Dr. S. Vijayalakshmi, Principal Technical Officer, CSIR-SERC, introduced the chief guest, Smt. Hema Chandrasekhar to the audience. Smt. Hema in her talk, said that this year’s theme Accelerate Action is a powerful phrase and everyone should be applying it ourselves in our lives. She pointed out that knowing our roots, building a support system around us and finding our strengths are the three important things to accelerate action, not only for women, but for everyone. She said that it is important to balance the life the way we want, prioritize things, making the choice and stand with it, and to remain positive and strong. She also said that barriers are in everyone’s life and instead of thinking too much about it, we should stay strong and composed to fight the barriers that come on our way.

 

Smt. A Mercy Latha, Principal Scientist, CSIR-CEERI, proposed vote of thanks.

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(Release ID: 2113468)