As a part of the ‘Aazadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ celebration, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) organized a special lecture on ‘National Education Policy (NEP 2020): Multidisciplinary Environmental and Education Research University (MERU) on 8 March 2022 in the NEERI Auditorium. Dr. C V Chalapati Rao, Former Chief Scientist and Head, Air Pollution Control Division, CSIR-NEERI was the keynote speaker. Dr. Atul N Vaidya, Director, CSIR-NEERI and Dr. Sadhana Rayalu, Senior Most Scientist, CSIR-NEERI were prominently present on this occasion.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Rao shared his views on the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020). Describing the salient features of NEP 2020, he stated that NEP 2020 could bring a fundamental change in the country’s research and education landscape. Research institutes, including CSIR-NEERI should take advantage of NEP 2020 and align its research activities according to the NEP 2020 as a massive institutional restructuring is expected in the country by 2040. Research Institutes are supposed to remain at least 10 years ahead in their planning, he added.
He informed that National Research Foundation is being built for the first time in the country which will strengthen the governance structure of the research related institutions and will improve linkages between R&D, academia and industry. Dr. Rao discussed the specific areas on which CSIR-NEERI needs to focus in view of the NEP 2020. He mentioned that the proposed multidisciplinary education and research university (MERU) will open up new opportunities for the youth, promote inter-disciplinary research and make India a global hub of research and development. Multidisciplinary research is a key theme in the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), he added.
Earlier, Dr. Atul Vaidya, Director, CSIR-NEERI in his introductory remarks said that the foundation of CSIR-NEERI has been based on multi-disciplinary research. Now, CSIR-NEERI will have to play a major role in the implementation of National Education Policy 2020, he added.
National Research Foundation (NRF) will be
formed to fund for competitive and innovative
research proposals of all types and across all
disciplines. The Professors and Teachers from various academic institutions across India took part in the programme and interacted on various aspects of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020).
Dr. Sadhana Rayalu, Chief Scientist and Head, Environmental Materials Division, CSIR-NEERI was felicitated for her outstanding achievement in the field of Environment Protection on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Mrs. Jaya Sabjiwale conducted the proceedings. The programme was also broadcast live on the face book and YouTube pages of CSIR-NEERI.
