NCL Pune organizes National Science Day Celebrations – Tarang 2026
Pune, 9th March 2026: CSIR–National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, organized the National Science Day Celebrations – 2026 with the flagship student and research scholars’ event “Tarang 2026” at the CSIR-NCL Auditorium. Dr. (Mrs.) N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research & Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research presided over the event as the Chief Guest.
The programme commenced with the introduction of Scilogy and Tarang by Mr. Kiran Asokan, Research Scholar, CSIR-NCL, who explained the objectives of Scilogy, the official student club of CSIR-NCL. He stated that Scilogy aims to bridge gaps in research training by encouraging participation beyond laboratory work through workshops, panel discussions, podcasts, newsletters and scientific communication initiatives. He announced that from next year, Scilogy will organize Tarang as a three-day event comprising a two-day scientific conference followed by student-centric activities.
Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, welcomed the gathering and highlighted the scientific importance of National Science Day, commemorating the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir C. V. Raman. He recalled Sir C. V. Raman’s historic visit to NCL in 1950 and expressed pride in NCL’s rich scientific legacy. Dr. Lele felicitated Dr. Kalaiselvi, who inaugurated the event and addressed the staff and students.
Dr. Kalaiselvi expressed her deep personal excitement at visiting CSIR–NCL and drew inspiration from the Raman Effect as a metaphor for scientific life. She urged students and researchers to actively engage with the laboratory’s ecosystem, legacy and capabilities to create meaningful impact. Describing NCL as a laboratory with a distinct scientific vibration shaped by its illustrious past and dynamic present, she said that every individual on campus carries the responsibility of strengthening India’s and the world’s science, technology and innovation landscape.
Highlighting NCL’s exceptional legacy in technology development and licensing, Dr. Kalaiselvi noted that technologies emerging from this laboratory enjoy wide trust from industry and society. She cited the paracetamol process as a landmark achievement that has made NCL a permanent part of India’s scientific history, owing to its continuous-flow, fully automated and zero-liquid-discharge nature along with its large-scale production capacity. She also appreciated NCL’s contributions in dimethyl ether and expressed keen interest in extending this work towards propylene and sustainable aviation fuel, assuring her support for these efforts through funding.
Emphasizing that successful technologies must address real industrial needs and integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure, Dr. Kalaiselvi commended NCL’s leadership for nurturing an industry-relevant research culture. She lauded the Venture Center for its national standing and its role in incubating a large number of startups and MSMEs, urging scholars to translate research into enterprises so that CSIR becomes known not only for research but also for entrepreneurship and societal solutions. Linking NCL’s work to the vision of Viksit Bharat, she underlined the importance of energy, green hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as examples of science reaching society in real time, and called upon the NCL community to expand student strength, raise external funding and generate visible success stories so that the laboratory continues to stand as a symbol of impactful science, trusted technology and national pride.
The programme concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Dr. Varun Natu, Scientist, CSIR-NCL. The event was attended by CSIR-NCL scientists, staff, students and research scholars and was live-streamed on online.
