Dr Harsh Vardhan Dedicates the “Apex Metrology Laboratory” at the National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi Today

Introduction

Union Minister Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan while pointing out that a significant number of best Scientists working abroad, in every field today are Indians, said that this shows that we could use innovative acumen and abilities of our countrymen to work for making our future brighter than our glorious past. He was dedicating the “Apex Metrology Laboratory” to the Nation at a function at National Physical Laboratory NPL in New Delhi, today. He said our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also dreams to use the intellectual acumen and innovative abilities of the 65% of our country’s population, which is below 35 years of age, to convert our country into a sophisticated and successful model. Dr. Harsha Vardhan opined that we had inherited super intellectual genes from our ancestors. 

The Minister said that the scientists with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), a constituent of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), are working on a project, titled “Technologies and products for solar energy utilization through networks” (TAPSUN), which brings under one umbrella several solar power generation, conservation and storage related projects for providing clean, efficient and affordable renewable energy solutions. Dr Harsh Vardhan said that this should contribute a “green” edge to the Prime Minister’s dream of solar energy and “Swacch Bharat” campaign, besides leading to achieving of his most cherished goal of making solar power cheaper and more efficient through intensive R&D. 

The Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Shri Y.S Chowdary speaking on the occasion said that we should make such laboratories more visible, even by allowing students to visit such labs, may be by selecting them through competition. 

Dr Harsh Vardhan was accompanied by the Director-General, CSIR, Dr M.O. Garg and Director, CSIR-NPL Dr A. Sen Gupta. He visited various R&D facilities such as the Indian Standard Time being kept using an Atomic Fountain Clock indigenously built at CSIR-NPL, the Clean Room complex, solar cell fabrication centre and superconducting materials laboratory. The scientists explained to him that the atomic Fountain clock is so accurate that it loses or gains only one second in 100 million years and is only among about a dozen such clocks worldwide. 

Dr Garg said, “The intention behind erecting the new Centre was to bring under one roof all the R&D works in progress to achieve higher and higher levels of accuracy in measurement of seven international standards (SI) base units.” 

The SIs are ‘Metre’ (for length), ‘Kilogram’ (for mass), ‘Second’ (for time), ‘Kelvin’ (for thermodynamic temperature), ‘Ampere’ (for current), ‘Candela’ (for luminous intensity) and ‘Mole’ (amount of substance). The laboratory serves the nation by providing traceability in the country at par with the international standards thereby catalyzing international trade, overall growth of the industry, strategic sectors and quality of products thus enhancing the quality of human life in India. 

Dr Sen Gupta said that R&D in materials research at CSIR-NPL have led to several cutting edge technologies, that have resulting in improving the quality of human life in India. 

Source

Press Information Bureau, March 27, 2015