The challenge before science today is to make significant improvement in the life of “Aam Aadmi”. Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Union Science and Technology minister, speaking on the occasion of CSIR Foundation Day said today here at Vigyan Bhawan. He congratulated CSIR for the important achievements made in the field of Science and Technology and Research and Development. The minister also greeted various awards winners in different discipline in the field of Science and Technology. He stressed the need to convert our Research and Development units into innovation creating institutes. Recalling Pandit Nehru’s commitment to scientific development, he said that Pandit Nehru believed that “It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty....”. The same approach was continued during Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi’s regime. Shri Chavan lauded the support extended by present Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to scientific development in the country. Shri Chavan added that because of our robust and appropriate economic policy being followed since 1991, we could withstand the pressure of global melt down and sustain our growth rate. Shri Chavan applauded the efforts of CSIR in the field of scientific research and development in general and encouraging innovative programme of giving scholarship to students of 10^th and 12^th standard and further funding their research work till the age of 32 years in particular. He called upon CSIR to help developing Scientific Temper among our citizens.

            Shri Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) delivered CSIR Foundation Day lecture. He enlightened the audience about the importance of Unique Identification Number to be given to each Indian, the mammoth task he is presently handling. Under this UID Number, there will be basis demographic and biometric information about an individual. There will be no duplication as it will be a centralised database on biometric basis. The most unique feature of this number will be online authentication of Identity of an individual on cell phone network. Though this UID will not confer any right on a citizen still it would enhance power of Identity, access to services, direct benefit to poor. With the introduction of UID the implementation of flagship scheme would be fool proof and chances of fraud would be reduced to minimum. Shri Nilekani further inform that new UID would combine data basis of multiple agencies of food and supply departments, panchayat, gas agencies, education institutions, LIC, passport office etc. Enrolment under UID would be valid for lifetime identification. He also threw light on various challenges to be faced by UID project which included technological challenges, architecture challenges, network infrastructure related and demographic challenges. He expressed hope that CSIR would help UIDAI building a basic framework for this project by giving the benefits of various technological advancement and innovations in research and development work.

            On this occasion names of eleven scientists selected for 2009 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for Science and Technology were also announced. Shri Prithviraj Chavan gave away CSIR Young Scientist Award 2009, CSIR Technology Awards 2009 and CSIR Diamond Jubilee Invention Award for School Children 2008. Under the category of CSIR Young Scientist Award for the year 2009 six young scientists were awarded in five disciplines namely Dr Fayaz Ahmad Malik, Department of Pharmacology, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu in Biological Sciences, Dr. Srihari Pabbaraja, Organic Division I, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad in Chemical Sciences, Dr. Balaraman Madhan, Centre for Human & Organizational Resources Development, Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai in Engineering Sciences, Dr K V Ramesh, CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation (C-MMACS) Bangalore and Dr. Nimisha Vedanti, Fractals in Geophysics Group, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad in Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean & Planetary Sciences, Dr. Debi Prasad Das, Process Engineering and Instrumentation Cell, Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar, in Physical Sciences.

 CSIR Technology Award 2009 in the category of Physical Sciences including Engineering was given to Team IIP at Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun and CSIR Technology Award 2009 for Innovation to Team CDRI at Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. Each Award carries a cash prize of Rs.2 lakh, a plaque and a citation.

Under the category of CSIR Diamond Jubilee Invention Award for School Children 2008, Second prize (Rs.25000/-) to Miss Neha Lalit Sharma, Class 11^th (Mumbai), Third prize (Rs.15000/-) to Master Harjas Singh Sodhi, Class 8^th (New Delhi) and Fifth prize (Rs.5000/- each) to Master Shikhar Bhandari, Class 12^th (New Delhi), Master Vishakh Hegde, Class 11^th (Bangalore), Master V Pranav, Class 9^th (Mysore) were given. No first prize was given this year.

GG/PLS