CSIR-IICT to upskill students from North-Eastern states in a joint move

New Delhi: As a part of its Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) initiative, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), one of the oldest national laboratories under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), has decided to provide the students from the North-Eastern (NE) states with more advanced skills and training, jointly with Cipla, an Indian pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Mumbai.

CSIR-IICT signed an agreement with Cipla Foundation to conduct orientation-cum-training programme for MSc (Chemistry) students from the North-Eastern states. To begin with, the initiative will continue for three years starting from 2021-22, CSIR-IICT statement said.

The basic idea behind the programme is to provide the students from NE states, an opportunity to interact with and learn from the scientists at CSIR-IICT, make them industry-ready or pursue Ph.D. in chemistry, and at the same time, expose them to diverse cultures.

The three-month hybrid (online & hands-on) upskilling programme began with a virtual inaugural session on 7th January attended by around 50 students representing the seven NE states, chemistry faculty from respective Universities, and faculty from CSIR-IICT.

Dr D. Shailaja, Chief Scientist and Nodal Officer for Skill & CSR programme at CSIR-IICT, welcomed the participants and informed the students about the various skill development programmes conducted by CSIR-IICT to upskill the UG and PG students to improve their career prospects.

Dr Pradosh Chakrabarti, senior principal scientist and course coordinator, explained the course and the benefits students could accrue in terms of the edge in employability at relevant industries or admissions in academic institutions for higher studies.

Anurag Mishra, CEO, Cipla Foundation, appreciated the unique initiative and said that “This course would not only help the students in securing the best career but will also encourage the future generations to pursue chemistry”.

Dr Diganta Choudhuri, Head, Department of Chemistry, B. Borooah College, Guwahati, said that the course structure was well-conceived to equip the students with the requisite hand on skills necessary for embarking on their future journey in chemistry.

Dr. VM Tiwari, Director CSIR-IICT, called upon the faculty to channelize the unlimited energy and talent of the youth for the betterment of society and empower them with state-of-the-art skills that render them take up assignments on the global platform.

(India Science Wire)