New Delhi: Senior Scientist Dr. N. Kalaiselvi on Sunday broke another glass in his career after being appointed as the Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for a period of two years. She was the first woman scientist to head the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) earlier in 2019.
As the first woman to head CSIR, a consortium of 38 research institutes across the country, this is not only another achievement for her, but also a major victory for women in science.
As Director General of CSIR, she will also take charge as Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), a part of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
With 25 years in the industry, he took over from Shekhar Mande, a structural and computational biologist who retired in April. Upon Mande’s retirement, Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, was made the interim Director General before the appointment of Dr. Kalaiseelvi.
Awarded the International Scientist of the Year in 2007, Dr Kalaiseelvi started his professional career as an entry-level scientist at CSIR.
He belongs to Ambasamudram, a small town in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, where he attended a Tamil medium school.
Focusing his work primarily on the development of lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical power systems, and electrode materials in particular, Dr. Kalaiselvi has currently enrolled In the development of “practically viable sodium-ion/lithium-sulfur batteries and supercapacitors”.
Read also: Cancer treatment, fascination with biology, neuroscience – what attracted these women to science
research and development efforts
According to the CSIR-CECRI website, their research and innovation efforts include “modified electrode materials for high energy”, “tailored electrodes for aqueous and non-aqueous lithium batteries”, “developing polymer-based electrolytes” and “with ionic working”. Liquid-based electrodes and electrolytes”.
While she has been involved in several research projects, Dr Kalaiseelvi has worked with CSIR-CECRI as the Nodal Lab for the CSIR-sponsored Twelfth Five Year Plan Project, Multifunctional Electrodes for Futuristic Technologies (Multifun) and Nodal for Electrolytes Also worked as a scientist. ,
A Rs 68.54 crore project, Multifan ran from 2012 to 2017 and was supported by six other CSIR institutions. The project which was under the supervision of Dr. Kalaiseelvi was rated ‘Excellent’ by the Regional Monitoring Committee.
Taking a step towards electric mobility
Also having shifted his focus to electric mobility, Dr Kalaiseelvi has participated in various meetings for the implementation of e-mobility in India since 2015.
In collaboration with the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and academic, research and industry partners, he was instrumental in and oversaw CSIR-CECRI’s efforts in compiling a technical report on the National Mission for Electric Mobility. NMEM).
He also contributed to the Mobility Mission concept note that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched.
praise him
Kalaiselvi has published over 125 research papers and holds six patents. Eight research scholars have earned PhDs under his direction, and six more are now enrolled in doctoral programs.
Between 1999 and 2019, he has received many merits, fellowships and awards including winning CECRI’s ‘Young Scientist Seminar Award’ thrice. According to CSIR-CECRI, he was also awarded an Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Visiting Fellowship in 1999. Website,
In 2003, he received the Korea Brain Pool Fellowship and in 2011, he was selected for the INSA-NRF Exchange Program of Scientists and visited the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI).
In 2015, she was the recipient of the Materials Research Society Medal, followed by the CV Raman Women of Science Award in 2019.
(Edited by Jinnia Ray Chowdhury)
Read also: Covid for space and missiles, these women scientists are shaking up Indian science and how