Dr Mashelkar amongst top

25 Stars of Asia

The prestigious American journal Business Week has voted Dr RA Mashelkar, director general, CSIR, amongst the top 25 Stars of Asia. The Asian leaders in different fields of business, management, finance and innovation were considered for this honor. This is the first time that the American Business Week has honored any scientist from Asia in its Asian Star category. The journal applauded Dr Mashelkar's role as a pre-eminent leader in Indian science and technology. His role in transforming CSIR, leading India's intellectual property movement and also redirecting science and technology suited to the developing world conditions were specially highlighted.

Mashelkar elected Foreign Associate of US National Academy of Sciences

In another development, Dr RA Mashelkar has been elected a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. The National Academy of Sciences is a private organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use to the general welfare. An election to the membership of the academy is considered as one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a scientist or engineer. Dr Mashelkar is the eighth Indian to be elected since 1863 and the first scientist in the history of CSIR to have been bestowed this unique honor. On receiving this honor, Dr Mashelkar said, "I am particularly happy that this recognition is specifically for my scientific contributions. The brilliance of my young associates at NCL is as much responsible for this honor as the strong support that the great CSIR system has provided me".

"Knowledge entrepreneurship essential"

Dr Mashelkar feels our country needs scientists who can create wealth out of knowledge and they should be recognized and respected. Speaking at a recently-held conference on "Happy Scientist: Happy Nation, How can we make our scientists rich", organized by ASSOCHAM in Delhi, Dr Mashelkar said. "Ideas alone cannot create wealth. A suitable opportunity is also required. For creating a suitable environment, first of all a change of mindset, where creating wealth through knowledge is perfectly respectable, is required at the university and college level. Secondly an enabling atmosphere needs to be developed at the universities and institutes, where innovations can be championed, fine-tuned and financed," he opined.

Dr Mashelkar added, "We need to pay attention to our universities which are the real fountains of knowledge."

KL Chugh, chairman, ASSOCHAM Knowledge Council, suggested that a "Scientific Entrepreneurial Fund" should be created and the about hundred top-notch scientists of the country should be selected and supported through this fund to develop their innovations. "Scientific entrepreneurship is required. We need to create a pool of scientists and support them in every way with the necessary policy changes", he stated.

In his special address,
Dr NK Ganguly, director general, ICMR stressed, "It is not enough to generate knowledge. This has to be developed into useful products and policies and taken to the people. Today there is a lack of people to convert the basic knowledge into products".