365Telugu.com online news, January 15th,2025: The CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR) inaugurated its two-day International Conference on “Aligning Science-Technology-Innovation (STI) Indicators for Effective R&D Governance” (STIiG-2025) and the celebration of its 4th Foundation Day on January 14, 2025. The event was held at Vivekananda Hall, CSIR-NIScPR.
Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal, Director of CSIR-NIScPR, delivered the inaugural address, welcoming the delegates and dignitaries. She provided an overview of the conference and highlighted the importance of NIScPR’s foundation day, which celebrates the merger of CSIR-NISTAD and CSIR-NISCAIR, with a combined legacy of over 100 years.
Prof. Aggarwal emphasized the role of CSIR-NIScPR as one of CSIR’s youngest and most dynamic labs and a think tank for science communication and STI policy research. She also discussed the institute’s various divisions and missions, such as SVASTIK, TRL, NETRA, ISSN, and journal publications, alongside efforts to create livelihood opportunities in rural areas. Prof. Aggarwal recalled the contributions of Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, former Secretary of DST, in formulating the national STI policy.
The guest of honor, Dr. Suman Kumari Mishra, Former Director of CSIR-CGCRI, Kolkata, and Adjunct Professor at IIT Ropar, praised NIScPR’s long-standing efforts in advancing science and technology in society through popular science magazines like Vigyan Pragati and Science Reporter. She also encouraged scientists to embrace innovation and take risks in their work.
Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of Research and Information System (RIS) for Developing Countries, delivered the Foundation Day Lecture. His talk, “Reimagining Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators: Towards a Development Agenda for Viksit Bharat at 2047,” discussed the importance of evolving STI indicators to meet new global development priorities. He emphasized the need for inclusion and sustainability in R&D indicators.
Chief Guest, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, President of INSA and Institute Chair Professor at IIT Kanpur, underscored the importance of translating scientific knowledge into societal benefits. He discussed the significance of ethics, the role of artificial intelligence, and the impact of emerging technologies in shaping future development. He also suggested adding economic indicators to the evaluation of R&D outcomes.
Following the addresses, the dignitaries launched the conference souvenir and three books, including a special issue of the Science Diplomacy newsletter and the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, all published by NIScPR. The inaugural session concluded with remarks from Mukesh Pund, Chief Scientist at CSIR-NIScPR, who thanked all participants and acknowledged the efforts of the organizing team led by Prof. Sujit Bhattacharya, Chief Scientist at CSIR-NIScPR.
As part of the event’s initiatives, a tree plantation drive under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” program took place, with national and international experts planting trees at the CSIR-NIScPR campus.
On the first day of the conference, eight engaging sessions were held. Prof. Akhilesh Gupta, former Secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and Senior Advisor at the Department of Science and Technology, chaired the first session on STI Indicators for R&D Governance.
Keynote speakers, including Prof. Sujit Bhattacharya and Prof. Oleg G. Golichenko from the Russian Academy of Sciences, discussed aligning STI indicators with technological foresight and governance models.
Prof. Vivek Kumar Singh, Senior Advisor at NITI Aayog, delivered a talk on performance-based research funding models and the role of institutional diversity in boosting research output.
In the second session, 17 posters were presented in a session chaired by Dr. Charu Verma, Chief Scientist at CSIR-NIScPR. The third session, chaired by Prof. Brajesh Pandey, Executive Director of INSA, addressed “Measuring the Social Impact of R&D,” featuring talks by Dr. Ismael Rafols from Leiden University and Dr. Shiv Narayan Nishad.
The fourth session was a panel discussion on “STI Indicators for R&D and Society,” chaired by Prof. Vivek Kumar and moderated by Dr. N K Sahoo, Scientist at CSIR-NIScPR.
Experts discussed the implementation of new research evaluation protocols and the need to assess individual scientists rather than just organizations. The session also explored the role of artificial intelligence and its implications for R&D indicators.
In the fifth session, Dr. Pit Pichhapan from Digital Information Research Labs, Chennai, presented on “The Impact of Measuring Large vs Small Aggregates of Research Units,” while the sixth session discussed the impact of STI indicators on social media, with panelists like Dr. Jagvir Singh, Head of Outreach at SAGE-NCS Ministry of Earth Sciences, engaging in thought-provoking discussions on Altmetrics and social media’s role in research evaluation.
The final two sessions on “Methods, Approaches, and Practices in Performance Evaluation” were chaired by Dr. Arvind C Ranade, Director of the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), and Dr. Vipan Kumar, Chief Scientist at CSIR-NIScPR. These sessions featured expert presentations on the evolving strategies and metrics for evaluating social media and R&D’s societal impact.
The first day concluded with strong participation from delegates, reflecting the conference’s importance in refining STI indicators for future R&D governance.