Social consciousness core of Indian research centres: Tharoor

Union Minister Shashi Tharoor today said social consciousness is the main factor which distinguishes Indian research institutes from those in foreign countries.
Addressing the scientists of National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science & Technology (NIIST) here, Tharoor said he was impressed by the world-calss research performed by CSIR-NIIST scientists.
NIIST is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India's premier industrial research organisation.
"India is constantly criticised as being inhospitable to cutting-edge science. But I'm proud and delighted that a research organisation from my own constituency does quality research in frontier areas of high relevance," he said.

"It is also commendable that the research conducted at CSIR-NIIST is anchored locally and oriented at finding immediate applications," he added.
Later, he unveiled technology products developed by CSIR-NIIST under the 'CSIR-800' programme, an initiative of CSIR for income augmentation and improvement in quality of life of 800 million fellow Indians through interventions of science and technology.
Tharoor also inspected the polymer-coir composite developed by CSIR-NIIST as a promising substitute for wood, anaerobic digester and samples of natural fibres (pine apple leaf fibre, banana fibre, coir fibre etc) extracted by the biological process developed at CSIR-NIIST.
He also said that each house in Kerala should afford to have the anaerobic digester-cum biogas plant developed by CSIR-NIIST.