From a Correspondent
JORHAT, April 26: The Central Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISR) has renamed all the five regional research laboratories in the country under it in a bid to give them a more national image and specific direction and orientation of expertise. The one here is to be henceforth known as the North-East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST).
Director of the Regional Research Laboratory now NEIST, Dr PG Rao, told The Sentinel that this was an image makeover in an era of globalization where a national outlook counted for more in the scientific community abroad.
“Whenever we had correspondence with scientific and research institutes outside the country, our letters were usually ignored as the Regional Research Laboratory sounded as if it belonged to some particular region or State,” Dr Rao said.
“The circular from the CISR regarding the change of name was received by us on March 6 last and we are working internally in changing letterheads, formats and postal addresses and a formal announcement will be made soon,” Dr Rao further said.
“From now onwards our letterheads will read, ‘North-East Institute of Science and Technology,’ and under it, ‘A National Laboratory under CISR’,” he added. Dr Rao stressed that there would be no administrative changes.
“In our case we will continue our research and development activities which are specific to the North-east region but as regards the other RRLs in the country the name change also comes with a divergence in R and D activities,” Dr Rao stated.
Citing an example, Dr Rao said that RRL, Jammu has been renamed Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM).
“The RRL Jammu is also working in leather, pulp and other areas but now all its research and development activities will be diverted to integrated medicine. Similarly RRL, Bhubaneswar renamed Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) will divert all its departments to work on minerals,” Dr Rao said.
This is in conformity with the CISR office memo which reads ‘…the CISR governing body’s 168th meeting held on 8.12.2006 considers the proposal for renaming of the different RRLs commensurating with their direction, orientation of expertise and reflecting futuristic outlook of the Laboratories and has approved the new names of RRLs’.
RRL, Bhopal has been renamed Advanced Material and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI) and RRL, Thiruvananthapuram as the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIST)
It may be mentioned here that the foundation stone of the Regional Research Laboratory, Jorhat was laid by professor Humayun Kabir, Union Minister of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs on March 18, 1961. From then onwards, the Laboratory has worked according to its charter to use the immense natural resources of the region and to provide R and D inputs to develop the economy of the North-east besides functioning as a link between other State organizations and other national laboratories on problems requiring specialized attention.
Vision 2010 of the Laboratory further stresses on human resource development aiming specially on the upliftment of the women and other weaker sections in the region.

(The Sentinel,27.04.2007)