CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations

YELLOW CYAN MAGENTA BLACK ISSN 0409-7467 VOL 58 NO 20 30 OCTOBER 2008 < CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations Founded in 1942, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) celebrated its 67th Foundation Day on 26 September 2008. On this occasion the entire Team CSIR of 37 Institutes/Laboratories spread all over the country took stock of the progress made during the year that had gone by and planned for the future to serve the nation with still greater dedication. It was also an occasion to accord recognition to excellence in science through presentation of the various awards. Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of Seen on the dais during the CSIR Foundation Day Function at NPL, Science & Technology and Earth New Delhi (from right ) are: Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, Shri Kapil Sibal, Prof. Sciences and Vice President, CSIR, was Bartha Maria Knoppers, and Dr Vikram Kumar the Chief Guest at the main function held in NPL. Shri Sibal addressed the august gathering of Scientists and Technologists and gave away the various awards. Prof. Bartha Maria Knoppers, Faculte deD roit, University of Montreal and Senior Researcher at the Centre de Recherché en Droit Public (CRDP), Canada, delivered this year's foundation day lecture. The title of her lecture was “Investments in Health Research and International Interoperability”. Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, Director General, CSIR, extended a warm welcome and Dr Vikram Kumar, Director, National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi, proposed the vote of thanks. 30 OCTOBER 2008 305 YELLOW CYAN MAGENTA BLACK CSIRFoundation Day Celebrations The names of the winners of Awards for School Children were Brahmachari introduced the much coveted Shanti Swarup presented at the function that was speakers. He recalled his long and Bhatnagar Prizes and CSIR Award marked by understated elegance fruitful scientific association with for S&T Innovation for Rural and style. Prof. Knoppers. Referring to Shri Development were announced and A workshop on ‘Know Your Sibal as “Champion of Science, not the winners of the CSIR Young Genome’ was also organized at NPL only of CSIR but of the entire Scientist Awards, CSIR Technology for the high school and junior- nation”, he pointed out, “We have Awards and CSIR Diamond Jubilee college students. gathered here to celebrate the 67th The objective was to expose the birthday of CSIR and to recognize younger generation to the current the outstanding S&T with awards at excitement in genomics sciences. The the hands of Shri Kapil Sibal.” He, workshop was planned to coincide in particular lauded the efforts of with CSIR Foundation Day and also young innovators, calling them to herald the opening of the Human “especial.” “It was most befitting Genome Meeting ( HGM) 2008 at that CSIR should encourage and Hyderabad, an event which Prof. motivate young talents,” Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, Director Brahmachari remarked. General, CSIR, chaired. Prof. Brahmachari also In his welcome address at the mentioned that the workshop on Foundation Day function Prof. S.K. “Know Your Genome”, which had 306 CSIR NEWS CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations concluded only a few minutes commonly referred to as before the CSIR Foundation Day intellectual property – function was aimed to light a spark which are not owned or of intellectual curiosity in young controlled by anyone. minds. The workshop had the She elaborated on the presentations entitled: “History and Napoleonic Code for Future of the Human Genome” by things in the public Prof. Doron Lancet, Ralph & Lois domain. Unknown to Silver Chair of Human Genomics & many, Napoleon’s Head, Crown Human Genome greatest contribution to Center, Department of Molecular society was the creation Genetics, Weizmann Institute of of a universal system of Science, Israel;” Making Eyes: From laws that replaced Disease to Development” by Prof. contradictory and Prof. Bartha Maria Knoppers delivering the V. Heyningen, MRC Human antiquated provincial CSIR Foundation Day lecture Genetics Unit, Western General policies. Hospital, Edinburgh, UK; and She spoke about the concept of particular efforts by the Wellcome “Decoding Genetics of Tobacco “common heritage of mankind.” It Trust and the Sanger Institute, Addiction” by Dr Stephen C. Ekker, was recognized quite early that developed the Bermuda Principles Professor of Biochemistry and some things are common to all in 1996 in response to the threat of Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, mankind and cannot be reduced to fundamental genomic sequence data Minnesota, USA. the property of an individual. For becoming proprietary to private Prof. Brahmachari was example, Grotius argued that “what companies. The Bermuda Principles emphatic in his statement that CSIR cannot be seized or enclosed — such advocated automatic release of stood not only for the Council of as the open sea cannot be reduced sequence assemblies larger than 1kB Scientific & Industrial Research but to property of individual states.” (preferably within 24 hours), also for Council of Scientific and Similarly the entire sky cannot be immediate publication of finished Innovative Research with Corporate appropriated by a person or annotated sequences, and making Social Indian Responsibility.” country. UNESCO in its 1997 the entire sequence freely available Prof. Bartha Maria Knoppers Human Rights Declaration also in the public domain for both began her lecture by quoting from upheld this concept albeit in a research and development in order Science, 15 August 2008 issue, watered down way. It recognized to maximize benefits to society. which stated that India ranked third human dignity when it stated, “The These actions were intended to as the most attractive country human genome underlies the allow researchers – academic and location for new R&D facilities. fundamental unity of all members of commercial – to make immediate Only China with 61%, and USA with the human family, as well as the use of the data. It was also hoped 41% were ranked ahead of India recognition of their inherent dignity that early release of the data would (29.5%). Japan came in at fourth lace and diversity. In a symbolic sense, lead to the prompt creation of ‘prior with 14% and she wryly remarked it is the heritage of humanity.” The art’ that could potentially defeat that “my country (Canada) is not on UNESCO Human Rights patent claims based on similar the list!” Her talk highlighted that Declaration (1997) also guided the DNA-sequencing efforts in the there are privately owned and state HUGO Ethics Committee. private sector. owned property but then there are She then moved on to speak This was followed by the Ft. also those property that fall in public about the next big step in facilitation Lauderdale Rules (2003) which domain. The public domain is a of data-sharing. The international basically underpinned the Bermuda range of abstract materials – scientific community, with Principles. The Ft. Lauderdale 30 OCTOBER 2008 307 CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations principles stressed the rapid, pre- that the nature of research was genomic sequences in the public publication release of sequence data slowly but definitely moving towards domain. as a tremendous benefit to the a collaborative and co-operative Prof Knoppers briefly touched scientific community that should be mode and into an area where upon the recommendations of the continued and extended to other previously strictly drawn HUGO Ethics Committee. These large datasets. boundaries (be it of subject, topic or included (amongst others) The next important step that even nationalities) were recommendations that: Prof. Knoppers outlined was the disappearing. • Human genomic databases are Berlin Declaration on Open Access Meanwhile other trends were global public goods; to Knowledge in the Sciences and also becoming apparent, Prof. • Knowledge useful to human Humanities (2003). This Declaration Knoppers continued. A study of the health belongs to humanity; came about as a result of the Emerging Trends in Ethics showed Human genomic databases are a scientific community’s feeling of that there was a clear movement public resource; obligation to address the challenges from Autonomy to Reciprocity; from • All humans should share in and of the Internet as an emerging Privacy to Mutuality; and from have access to the benefits of medium for distributing knowledge. Equity to Universality. As Prof. databases; It was clear even then that the Knoppers put it, “This past decade • Individuals, families, Internet was a powerful medium of discovery has been accompanied communities, commercial that would significantly alter the by a shift in emphasis towards entities, institutions and nature of scientific publishing. the ethical principles of reciprocity, governments should foster the “Open Source” is the new mutuality, solidarity, citizenry public good;. buzzword; the mantra of the times. and universality.” The emphasis • Public engagement is a Open Source is the ultimate source was shifting towards public goods. prerequisite of public of benefit sharing. It is relevant in Global public goods are those whose responsibility; the current global context, and has scope extends worldwide, are • The free flow of data and the fair perhaps arisen out of it, because enjoyable by all with no groups and equitable distribution of stringent IPR rules are poised to excluded, and, when consumed by benefits from research using boomerang—to lead to under-use of one individual are not depleted for databases should be encouraged; a resource— because it has been others. • Insofar

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