TECHNICAL SESSION: R.A. Mashelkar, former Director General of CSIR (right), with Anil Kakodkar, Chairman Atomic Energy Commission (centre), and T. Ramasami, Director General, CSIR, at the 43rd Foundation Day celebrations of SERC at CSIR Campus, Tara mani in Chennai on Sunday. — Photo: N. Sridharan

CHENNAI: Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Anil Kakodkar on Sunday called for sustained co-operation and collaboration among the various scientific bodies to achieve maximum results.

Delivering his inaugural address at the 43rd Foundation Day celebrations of SERC and after inauguration of the Rs. 30-crore Advanced Seismic Testing and Research Laboratory (A-STaR Lab), he said any collaborative working on clear terms and with defined objective would pay maximum dividends.

Scientists were responsible to society, as the institutes where they worked were built with taxpayers' money. "You have to pay dividends for the investments made through taxpayers' money and the best way is through cooperation and collaboration."

Foolproof system

He also called for collaboration between the SERC and the AEC, as the former's services were needed for the civil structure of nuclear reactors. "The Indian nuclear system is foolproof and has been acclaimed globally. This is due to the strength of the Indian scientific community, which the world considers the best as regards nuclear technology."

Dream come true

The former Director-General of CSIR, R. A. Mashelkar, said it was a dream come true for him, as scientific bodies in the country started working together. "The power of the network is being felt now, " he said.

CSIR Director-General T. Ramasami said the new laboratory would develop earthquake-resistant buildings that would minimise loss of lives.

Earthquakes could not be prevented but the loss of lives could be.

Seismic loading

A-STaR Lab has been established to develop solutions to problems arising out of seismic loadings on civil and mechanical structures.

It has been funded by the CSIR and the BRNS, Mumbai, under a grant-in-aid project.

The laboratory has major expertise in analysis, design, testing and evaluation of structures and structural components subjected to seismic loads.

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