From ED's Desk

The Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, having unparalleled professional work culture, is a place that allows talent to build itself to play important role in the process of regional progress.

We have been supporting the State Govt. in overall planning for development of Science Technology & Environment, promoting tech-interventions relevant to the State and infusing scientific attitude in the public mind.

Looking back over the past three decades of existence and reconnoitering as best as possible its activities for the future, the Council’s impact on society is downright conspicuous. Today, if Pushpa Gujral Science City could germinate and grow making the young and adult feel around to seek scientific basis of human existence; Punjab Biotechnology Incubator could be established to offer robust science driven quality testing to farmers and industry; Knowledge City comprising state-of-the-art institutional cluster could come up; and a separate Directorate of Environment could be set up in the State, then the unacknowledged patent for all these lies with the Council. Unacknowledged, because the Council carries on diligently, with calm dignity, its activities without seeking iconic status for itself.

However, for regulating the adopted course of action, we have always sought feedback from the stakeholders. This, we evaluate and interpret critically and then bring about necessary changes. Till recently, we had organized ourselves into domain wise divisions viz. Popularization of Science, Biotechnology, Environment including Consultancy Cell for Industrial Pollution Control &Energy Efficiency and Intellectual Property Rights. To steer ‘Mission Innovate Punjab’ launched by the State Govt. and spearhead ‘Punjab Research Innovation’ (PRI) notified by the Govt. and made functional from PSCST, the technical divisions of the Council have been restructured as Research Facilitation, Start-up Facilitation, Technology Facilitation and STI Translation & Facilitation Divisions.

Team PSCST's proactiveness keeps bringing recognitions, motivating us to continue contributing with increased vigor. The social innovations promoted by Council are generating employment of more than 2 lakh man-days. In the last 3 years, technologies for pollution control and energy efficiency developed and demonstrated by the Council have been adopted by 1300 MSMEs leading to investment of Rs.300 crores in cleaner technologies in the State. This resulted in annual reduction of 5.88 lakh tonnes of CO₂ and 52,000 tonnes of particulate matter. Besides, industry also stands benefitted to the tune of Rs.334 crores on account of reduced energy consumption due to saving in fuel and electricity. Thus, UNDP and Government of Punjab have conferred SDG Action Award 2020 for 'Environment Sustainability' to PSCST for promoting cleaner technologies to enhance State's climate resilience capacity. Also, it was heartening that in the first Town Hall Meet held to roll out consultation process for new National STI Policy, the Principal Scientific Advisor to Govt. of India stated that Punjab is one of the very few States having the required vision to promote STI across sectors and domains. We strive to continue translating this vision into meaningful actions.

Er. Pritpal Singh,
Executive Director,
Punjab State Council for Science & Technology