India Unveils Advanced Environmental and Solar Calibration Labs
In a significant stride towards bolstering environmental governance and solar energy standards, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, today inaugurated the world’s second “National Environmental Standard Laboratory” as well as the fifth “National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration” at the CSIR–National Physical Laboratory (NPL) during its 80th Foundation Day celebrations.
Dr. Singh emphasized that the establishment of the National Environmental Standard Laboratory represents a monumental advancement for India in environmental governance, while the National Primary Standard Facility places India among the elite in solar metrology. He described such institutions as “monuments of 20th and 21st century India,” reflecting the nation’s evolution from pre-Independence scientific foundations into a leader in global technology.
The Minister recalled that CSIR-NPL has played a critical role in India’s scientific evolution since before independence, notably with its contributions to establishing Indian Standard Time (IST). He pointed out that the laboratory has been instrumental in synchronizing time across half the nation using its atomic clock, which remains a symbol of national unity through scientific advancement. Dr. Singh also urged that institutions like NPL should inspire the nation’s youth and develop their curiosity for science through outreach initiatives.
Highlighting the new National Environmental Standard Laboratory, the Minister noted it would provide reliable calibration and certification for air pollution monitoring systems, thus facilitating accurate environmental data collection. This advancement is expected to support regulatory bodies and enhance compliance under the National Clean Air Programme.
Additionally, the National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration was unveiled as a “future-ready facility,” developed in collaboration with PTB, Germany. According to Dr. Singh, this facility boasts the lowest global uncertainty for reference solar cell calibration, significantly reducing India’s reliance on foreign agencies for certification. He added that this initiative would boost investor confidence in India’s rapidly growing solar sector.
In a call for greater public involvement in scientific endeavors, Dr. Singh remarked that institutions like CSIR-NPL, despite challenges in funding, possess significant intellectual and infrastructural capacities that can be harnessed through collaboration with industries and startups, thereby fostering economic growth.
N. Kalaiselvi, the Director General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, commended the NPL team for its 80 years of dedication and underscored the strategic role of their atomic clocks in national timekeeping. She expressed aspirations for NPL to aim for the top position globally in its scientific domains.
The event also witnessed the release of fourteen Phytochemical Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BNDs) developed in partnership with CSIR-CIMAP, along with two gas-related BNDs and one silica fume BND. Additionally, several memorandums of understanding and technology transfer agreements were signed to further support local manufacturing and innovation.
Dr. Jitendra Singh concluded by asserting that Indian scientists are pivotal to the nation’s aspirations, urging CSIR-NPL to continue contributing significantly to India’s technological progress and its vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat as it approaches the centenary of independence in 2047.
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