Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday joined the 150-year celebrations of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata, describing the institution as a symbol of India’s scientific awakening before Independence and its scientific rise in the decades after.
Founded in 1876 by Mahendralal Sircar, IACS is regarded as India’s first research institution established by Indians for modern scientific research and is best known as the birthplace of the Raman Effect discovery by Nobel laureate C. V. Raman.
During the visit, Singh inaugurated an indigenously developed Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) system for fabrication of India’s first amorphous silicon solar cell and also launched the institute’s new incubation centre, RETINA — Research Entrepreneurship for Translation, Innovation and Navigation.
The Minister also visited the institute’s archives and research exhibition galleries and paid floral tributes to the busts and statues of Mahendralal Sircar, C.V. Raman and Meghnad Saha on the campus.
Addressing scientists, researchers and students at the Mahendra Lal Sircar Hall, Singh said the journey of IACS reflects the evolution of India’s scientific identity from the colonial-era intellectual resurgence to the present-day innovation ecosystem driving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The Minister said IACS had nurtured some of India’s leading scientific minds, including Jagadish Chandra Bose, Meghnad Saha, Satyendra Nath Bose and C.V. Raman, and continued to make globally recognised contributions in physical sciences, biological sciences, materials science and interdisciplinary technologies.
Referring to the PECVD facility, Singh said the indigenous development of advanced solar-cell fabrication technology reflected the spirit of scientific self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. He added that the system, developed under the leadership of Ashok Kumar Barua, marked an important step in India’s renewable energy research.
On the launch of the RETINA incubation centre, the Minister said Indian scientific institutions are increasingly integrating research with entrepreneurship, startups and societal applications to develop scalable technologies in healthcare, clean energy and sustainable development.
Singh also highlighted IACS’ contributions in emerging fields such as quantum materials, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, battery materials, cancer biology and environmental technologies. He referred to recent research carried out by the institute in areas including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy treatment, toxic waste remediation, biosensors and sustainable energy materials.
The Minister said India’s scientific institutions are entering a transformative phase where academia, industry, innovation and startups will work together to strengthen the country’s position among the world’s leading knowledge economies.
