(Note: The word “Mission” refers to the “Core Purpose” of the organization and should not be confused with Vision/ Strategy etc.)
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Excerpts from the Department of Commerce Resolution, New Delhi, 26 September, 1942.
The functions of the Council will be:-
a) to implement and give effect to the following resolution moved by the Hon’ble Dewan Bahadur Sir A.R. Mudaliar …………. a fund called the Industrial Research Fund be constituted, for the purpose of fostering industrial development in this country…..”
b) the promotion, guidance and co-ordination of scientific and industrial research in India including the institution and the financing of specific researchers;
c) the establishment or development and assistance to special institutions or departments of existing institutions for scientific study of problems affecting particular industries and trade;
d) the establishment and award of research studentships and fellowships;
e) the utilization of the results of the researchers conducted under the auspices of the Council towards the development of industries in the country and the payment of a share of royalties arising out of the development of the results of researches to those who are considered as having contributed towards the pursuit of such researches;
f) the establishment, maintenance and management of laboratories, workshops, institutes and organisations to further scientific and industrial research and to utilise and exploit for purposes of experiment or otherwise any discovery or invention likely to be of use to Indian industries;
g) the collection and dissemination of information in regard not only to research but to industrial matters generally;
h) publication of scientific papers and a journal of industrial research and development; and
i) any other activities to promote generally the objects of the resolution mentioned in (a) above.
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Excerpts from the Memorandum of Association
(b) The objective of the Council being scientific and industrial/applied research of national importance, its major activities should be:
- research and development projects of national priority as evolved by the high level body concerned with overall planning for science and technology in the country;
- research and development projects sponsored by industries in the public/private sector and others and in consonance with national priorities;
- research and development directed towards continuous improvement of indigenous technology and adaptation and development of imported technology;
- research and development of new technologies relevant to the country’s social, economic and industrial needs in keeping with the national objective of self-reliance;
- research and development on appropriate and alternate technologies, with emphasis on the use of local resources;
- basic scientific research that is necessary and industrial/applied research and development in progress and from the view-point of future advances in technology in consonance with the national priorities;
- maintenance of national physical standards and a library of standard reference materials; and
- technical advisory services like information, extension, consultancy and testing.
(c) the establishment or development and assistance to special institutions or departments of existing institutions for scientific study of problems affecting particular industries and trade;
(d) the establishment and award of research fellowship and the institution and financing of specific researches;
(e) the utilization of the results of the researches conducted under the auspices of the Council towards the development of industries in the country and the payment of a share of royalties arising out of the development of the results of researches to those who are considered as having contributed towards the pursuit of such researches;
(f) the establishment, maintenance and management of laboratories, workshops, institutes, museums including mobile museums and organisations to further scientific and industrial/applied research and development and to utilize and exploit for purposes of experiment or otherwise any discovery or invention likely to be of use to Indian industries;
(g) the collection and dissemination of information in regard not only to research and development but to industrial matters generally;
(h) publication of scientific papers and journals devoted to scientific and industrial/applied research and development;
(hh) to enter into arrangements with foreign scientific agencies and institutions for exchange of scientists, study tours, training in specialised areas of science and technology, conducting joint projects, providing technical assistance in the establishment of scientific institutions and for other matters consistent with the aims and objectives of the Society.
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Excerpt from Talk by Dr SS Bhatnagar, Baroda, 1953
“….. national laboratories are not intended to supplant but, to supplement the work of individual or collective industrial concerns and universities in respect of research. The scope of research work may be likened to a continuous spectrum, at one end of which is pure academic work of the highest quality and at the other the technical development of processes and equipment.”
“Generally speaking, universities are concerned mainly with fundamental research while the activities of national laboratories lie essentially in the domain of applied research, though these laboratories are not precluded from taking up investigations of a fundamental character.”
” …….Research work at universities is of a changing nature, depending as it does, mainly upon the interest of the teacher in a particular branch of the subject. In national laboratories, on the other hand, the work is continuous and intensive, requiring defined techniques and directed to specific ends. The research staff is permanent and not migratory and this facilitates attention to the various research problems in the laboratories.”
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Excerpt from CSIR 2001 – Vision & Strategy (by Dr RA Mashelkar)
CSIR’s Mission statement thus is:
To provide scientific industrial research and development that maximises the economic, environmental and societal benefit for the people of India.
Industry has a wider connotation than mere manufacturing. Industry encompasses any human activity that transforms the inputs to outputs of value to society. Thus industry would encompass even agriculture, leave alone services. The underlying emphasis is that R&D to be pursued by CSIR provides traceable and tangible benefits to the economic, environmental or societal welfare systems.
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Excerpt from CSIR@80 – Vision and Strategy 2022 (By Dr SK Brahmachari)
CSIR’s Vision (sic):
“Pursue science which strives for global impact, technology that enables innovation-driven industry and nurture trans- disciplinary leadership thereby catalysing inclusive economic development for the people of India”