The I-RISE Operator Training Program (I-OTP), a flagship capacity-building initiative under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, is being organized at the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur on March 24–25, 2026. The two-day program is being conducted by the Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Foundation (JCKIF) in collaboration with the Central Research Facility (CRF), IIT Jodhpur, and I-STEM.

Bringing together nearly 100 participants from across India, the program has attracted engineering students, diploma graduates, laboratory operators, PhD scholars, faculty members, technical staff, and industry professionals from premier academic institutions, research organizations, and industries. The initiative aims to enhance technical competencies in advanced scientific instrumentation and promote optimal utilization of publicly funded research infrastructure at a national level.

Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. Avinash Kumar Agarwal, Director, IIT Jodhpur and Chairman, Board of Directors, JCKIF, underscored the significance of the I-RISE Operator Training Program as a transformative step towards building a Viksit Bharat. He highlighted the importance of empowering human capital and fostering collaboration among academia, industry, and government to democratize access to shared public research infrastructure and strengthen the national research ecosystem.

Dr. Vishal Choudhary, Scientist-F, Office of PSA, Government of India, emphasized the critical role of Science and Technology Clusters in driving collaboration across sectors. Dr. Shyam Sundar Dhakar, State Ambassador, Government Secretariat, Jaipur, shared insights on enhancing research accessibility in Rajasthan through I-STEM, while Dr. Harilal Bhaskar, COO and National Coordinator, I-STEM, introduced participants to the I-STEM portal and its role in enabling nationwide access to advanced research facilities.

Earlier, Dr. Ravi Prakash Srivastava, Head, CRF, IIT Jodhpur, presented an overview of the Central Research Facility and its role in enabling interdisciplinary research. Prof. Sunil Kumar Khijwania, Dean (R&D), Prof. Shree Prakash Tiwari, Dean (Administration) and Principal Investigator, JCKIC Phase 2.0, and Prof. Sampat Raj Vadera, Advisor to the Director, IIT Jodhpur, also addressed the participants, highlighting institutional efforts toward strengthening the regional Science and Technology Cluster ecosystem.

The program features comprehensive technical sessions covering advanced characterization techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), BET Surface Area Analysis, Chemisorption Analysis, ICP-MS, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). These sessions are being delivered by experts including IIT Jodhpur faculty members—Dr. Nitin Kumar Sharma, Dr. Prashant Kumar Gupta, and Dr. Trishikhi Raychoudhury—along with leading industry professionals from Malvern Panalytical, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Waters, supported by the CRF technical team.

The training program has witnessed enthusiastic participation from several premier institutions across India, including Central Universities, IITs, NITs, MNIT Jaipur, Delhi Technological University, Banaras Hindu University, Assam University, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Central Universities of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, Kurukshetra University, MBM University Jodhpur, Mohanlal Sukhadia University Udaipur, Defence Laboratory Jodhpur, ICMR-NIIRNCD Jodhpur, and multiple departments of IIT Jodhpur. Participants represent diverse regions including Silchar, Delhi, Bathinda, Amritsar, Kurukshetra, Udaipur, Lucknow, Dhanbad, Ropar, Shimla, Mumbai, Nainital, Ajmer, Bhopal, Dharamshala, and Jodhpur.

The second day of the program will feature hands-on training sessions at the Central Research Facility, where participants will gain practical exposure to instrumentation workflows, maintenance, calibration, and best practices under the guidance of scientists, engineers, and technical experts.

The program is being conducted under the leadership of Dr. Akanksha Choudhary, Faculty-in-Charge (FIC), JCKIF, with technical support from the CRF team led by Dr. Ravi Prakash Srivastava.

The I-RISE Operator Training Program reflects the continued commitment of JCKIF, IIT Jodhpur, and I-STEM to strengthening national capacity in scientific instrumentation, empowering skilled human resources, and promoting wider access to advanced research infrastructure. The initiative further reinforces the objectives of the Science and Technology Cluster Initiative of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India, contributing to a robust and collaborative national research ecosystem.

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