One Week One Lab programme at CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar
Inaugurating the ‘one week, one lab’ programme Dr. Ramanuj Narayan Director, CSIR-IMMT, said, “The aim of this program is to create awareness about the available technologies, in the areas of Minerals, Materials and Environmental Sustainability, and services present at CSIR-IMMT among potential stakeholders. These technologies help in providing solutions to industrial partners, societal problems, and develop the scientific temperament among the masses, especially students who are the future budding scientists of the country.
Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the ‘one week, one lab’ programme on Monday, April 17, 2023. One week, one lab’ campaign will allow each of the 37 CSIR Labs spread across the country to showcase their work to get benefits and for stakeholders to learn about it. One Week One Lab, a theme-based campaign of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is being organized to ignite the minds of young innovators, students, start-ups, academia and industry to look for opportunities through deep technological ventures. All Institutes of CSIR, one after the other in every successive week, will show case their exclusive innovations and technological breakthroughs to the people of India under this program. The CSIR Institutes are one-of-a-kind and specialise in topics ranging from the genome to geology, food to fuel, minerals to materials, Lab to land/sky and so on.
CSIR-IMMT has been running successfully the ‘JIGYASA‘ (which would inculcate the culture of inquisitiveness on one hand and scientific temper on the other, amongst the school students and their teachers) programme which is inspired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of a new India and Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) of Scientific Community and Institutions. Under Jigyasa we conduct Science Exhibitions, Projects of National Children’s Science Congress, Teacher Workshops and Tinkering Laboratories. We also encourage start-ups, industry connect, Atmanirvar Bharat and growth of MSMEs. In that regard, in sponsorship with the DSIR, we have set up CRTDH (Common Research & Technology Development Hub) for the development of entrepreneurship and startups in the areas of Mineral and Materials processing and new chemical processing. Above during the last month, we have reached around seventy-five 75 thousands of students, academicians across the radius of 100 kms around Bhubaneswar, through the initiative of IP Rath the knowledge of intellectual property rights and benefits.
Day – 2 of the programme focused on the theme, Mineral, Coal, Critical Minerals, Rare Earth Elements and Platinum Group of Elements, which are of immense importance to country’s industrial growth and economy and employment drive.Mr. S. S. Mohanty, CEO and MD, Essar Minmet Ltd. and Mr. G. Suresha, ED, Odisha Asset, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd., graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour, respectively. About 125 delegates, mainly from Indian Mineral Industries, R&D, Government policy-making agencies, start-ups, MSMEs, and academia were invited to attend this grand event and discussed on the present scenario of the mineral industry in India and the World. This program was conducted under the Chairmanship of Dr. Prabhas Chandra Beuria, Chief Scientist under the able guidance of Dr. Ramanuj Narayan, Director, CSIR-IMMT. The importance of mineral sector focussed on different ferrous and non- ferrous ore, utilisation of high ash Indian coal, critical minerals, REE/PGE minerals, in the development of India and Odisha in particular. A panel discussion among experts from various industries, R&D, academia, policy makers, start-ups and MSMEs was organised to discuss the “Decarbonization of Steel and aluminium Industries in India in the coming years towards achieving Net Zero Emission by 2070. On this occasion, CSIR-IMMT arranged a technology demonstration and pilot plant visit for the above participating delegates, who discussed with the institution’s scientists and suggested a tie-up with the institute to solve issues that the mineral industries are facing today.
Day 3 of OWOL event on 13th September was focussed towards the theme Environment, Waste Management, Pipeline Transport and jointly co-ordinated by Environment & Sustainability Department along with Design and Project Engineering department of CSIR-IMMT.
The OWOL program also hosted poster display reflecting scientific R & D work undertaken by scientists, scholarsand live demonstration of technologies, facilities such as “slurry pipe loop test” etc. related to environment, water, waste management and pipeline transportation to visitors and resource persons.
Day 4: Blue Economy – As per the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, the Blue Economy is defined as a “subset of the national economy comprising the entire system of oceanic resources and man-made economic infrastructure in marine, maritime, and onshore coastal zones within India’s legal jurisdiction. These resources aid in the production of goods and services and are closely linked to economic growth, environmental sustainability, and national security.”
In India, significant activities within the Blue Economy include fisheries and aquaculture, ports and shipping, marine and coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, IT-driven marine innovation, and deep-seabed mining of polymetallic nodules for strategic metals such as Nickel and Cobalt, among others. CSIR Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT) has actively engaged in developing technologies for processing Polymetallic Nodules and has successfully demonstrated the technology for extracting essential commodity metals like Copper, battery metals Nickel and Cobalt, and Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide (EMD). Currently, CSIR IMMT is advancing these technologies to expand the product portfolio, with a specific focus on battery applications and their impact on energy and emissions.
As part of the One Week One Lab program at CSIR-IMMT, Day 4 is dedicated to the theme “Blue Economy” – a one-day conclave designed to promote sustainable approaches and technology development efforts aimed at harnessing oceanic resources primarily on deep sea minerals exploration and processing. The conclave was attended by representatives from key sectors of the blue economy, including deep-sea mining and extractive metallurgy of seabed minerals, energy resources, and fisheries. The program included keynote addresses, invited talks, and panel discussions featuring special invitees and prominent personalities. Directors from National laboratories, including CSIR-NIO in Goa, NIOT in Chennai, CSIR-CGCRI in Kolkata, CSIR-CRRI in New Delhi, and CSIR-CECRI in Karaikudi, participated in the event. Dr. Sandip Kumar Mukhopadhyay from the MoES, distinguished experts in seabed minerals, ocean energy, and various industry and academia leaders, were part of the Blue Economy event. The event was spearheaded by Dr. Ramanuj Narayan, Director CSIR IMMT, with Dr. Kali Sanjay, Chief Scientist & Head, Hydro & Electrometallurgy and project leader of the polymetallic nodules metallurgy program, acting as the chairperson. The conclave was open to all registered delegates, including an opportunity to visit the poster exhibition and the seabed minerals extractive metallurgy pilot plant facilities at CSIR-IMMT.
Day-5 of the One Week One Lab (OWOL) focused on showcasing CSIR-IMMT’s research and development on nanomaterials, advanced functional materials on optoelectronics, coatings and sensors, green steel, light metals and alloys and utilization of wastes for value added products. Specifically, it included intrinsic white materials that obviate the need for multiple phosphorus to pioneering halide perovskites for white light LED and solar cell applications, 2D materials like MXene and graphene and their applications, flexible, piezoelectric based sensors using lead free materials and their diverse applications ranging from medical to extreme environmental conditions, polyoxometalates, metal nanoclusters, metamaterials, light weight and high entropy alloys.
Day- 6 of OWOL specifically honoured the Research scholars of CSIR-IMMT through a Research Scholar’s conclave. There was a poster session by our Research Scholars where 100 plus posters were displayed and the scholars interacted with the guests and peers discussed the future research potentials.