The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has received an overwhelming response with over 16,000 applications from across the country for its Summer Research Training Programme (CSIR-SRTP), said G. Narahari Sastry, director, CSIR- North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), based in Jorhat, Assam.
The event was inaugurated online by Director General (DG) of CSIR, and Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) Shekhar C. Mande.
“The concept of this online programme started budding with the lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic that sent the academic scenario throughout the country into doldrums. To dissolve the lull created by the pandemic in the academics of the nation and to uplift the constructive spirit among the students fraternity of the country, Dr. Shekhar C. Mande has given the mandate to CSIR-NEIST to conceptualise this programme, which is happening for the first time in the academic history of India,” said Dr. Sastry.
He lauded the dedicated team of CSIR-NEIST for accomplishing the Herculean task of processing the plethora of applications on a war footing in just two days to declare the names of shortlisted candidates.
Dr. Sastry asserted that the best of innovation in science and technology have come about during the times of war, pandemic, and natural disasters. Therefore, this pandemic has posed a challenge and given an opportunity to science and technology to give its best.
