National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST)

Syllabus: Science and Tech (UPSC Prelims)

Context:

The CSIR–National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is a premier national research institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It was originally established as the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) in 1975, renamed as NIIST in 2007.

About NIIST:

• Parent Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology
• Director: Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan
• Focus Areas: The institute conducts R&D in agroprocessing, chemical sciences, materials science, microbial processes, sustainable energy, and environmental technology.
• Human Resource Strength: Around 80 scientists and 300 research fellows work across interdisciplinary scientific domains.
• NIIST’s research integrates basic science, technology development, and commercialization, with emphasis on national missions, regional resource utilization, and industry-academia collaboration.
• It maintains active collaborations with national and international agencies for joint R&D and technology transfer.

Major Research Divisions:

1. Agroprocessing and Technology Division (APTD):
   • Focus on value addition and processing of oilseeds, spices, and natural products.
   • Develops engineered technology packages for commercial use.
   • Key innovations include:
     • Swing technology for fresh and dry spice processing
     • RADD (Refrigeration Adsorption Dehumidified Drying) for heat-sensitive materials
     • Nutraceutical and essential oil extraction from ginger and other spices
   • Operates a Technology Business Incubation Centre (TBIC) for spice and natural product innovations.
2. Materials Science and Technology Division (MSTD):
   • Divided into Functional Materials and Minerals & Metallic Materials.
   • Research in nano-ceramics, energy and polymeric materials, light metal alloys, and composites.
3. Chemical Sciences and Technology Division (CSTD):
   • Focus on inorganic, organic, photonics, and photosciences research for advanced chemical applications.
4. Environmental Technology Division (ETD) and Microbial Processes & Technology Division (MPTD):
   • Work on biotechnological and sustainable environmental solutions.
5. Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies (C-SET) and AI & ML Unit:
   • Promote clean energy research and data-driven innovation in scientific processes.