Mysuru: Ram Rajasekharan, Director, CSIR-CFTRI inaugurated the three day “CSIR Technofest” exhibition at its campus here on September 18.

The purpose of the CSIR Platinum Jubilee Technofest is to inform the public about the contribution of CSIR in the Science & Technology front in the last 75 years to improve the lives of people by means of technology interventions, skill development, and employment generation including strategic sectors while networking with industry, academia and institutions. While inaugurating the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations at CSIR HQs on September 26, 2016, the prime minister, who is also the president of CSIR, had suggested that CSIR’s achievements should be exhibited across the country, so that people will be able to know about the advancements. Accordingly, a 14 theme-based information panels highlighting major CSIR achievements are being featured in the exhibition.

Now CSIR also provides S&T based services to industry and other stakeholders; acts as a custodian for primary standards of measurements, bio-resources and traditional knowledge. It is also the nation’s flag bearer in intellectual property generation and protection and creates the country’s largest S&T human resource. CSIR has been known for its path-breaking research in many areas which include indelible ink, which is the hallmark of the every election process in this country. Incidentally, Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, the only company authorised to produce it is also based in Mysuru. The multitude of research areas pursued in CSIR includes agriculture, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, drug development, earth sciences, energy, food, material science, genomics, housing, healthcare, leather, microbiology, environmental engineering, power electronics, roads, sensors, solar energy, weather forecasting and so on. Swaraj, the first tractor of the country, baby milk powder were developed by CFTRI and the first supercomputer of the country are just some of the accomplishments of CSIR.

Apart from the exhibits, encompassing the pan India CSIR laboratories, there are also stalls displaying the recent technologies of CSIR-CFTRI for the benefit of the local students and public, to get a taste of what goes on in their neighbourhood. Stalls showcasing superfoods-chia, quinoa and teff, fortified foods, nutrition enriched products like spirulina chikki, kokum candy, carbonated fruit beverages, food adulteration test kits, fermented beverages and gluten free products have been the major attraction to all. Also scientist-student Interactive sessions have been arranged and scientific lectures will be delivered to create awareness and curiosity among children, so that they may pursue a career in basic sciences in future. There is also a scientist–industry/entrepreneur interaction scheduled on September 20.