Meet the first woman director general of CSIR | Fusion - WeRIndia

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISR) is the largest research and development organization in the country. It is a consortium of 38 research institutes in the country. This autonomous body has a staff of over 14,000, including around 5,000 scientists.

CSIR is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology. CSIR’s director general Shekar Mande retired in April. After that, Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology was given the additional charge of CSIR.

Now, Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has been appointed as director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She is the first woman director general of the CSIR.

The personnel ministry issued an order and appointed her as the DG of the CSIR on Saturday.

Kalaiselvi has been appointed for two years from the date of assumption of charge of the post. Or she will continue in the post till the ministry issues further orders.

This is not the first time for her to head a scientific institute. She became the director of CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu in 2019.

She broke the glass ceiling in scientific organizations by becoming the first woman scientist to head the CSIR-CECRI. Now, she was appointed as the DG of the CSIR.

Kalaiselvi is an electrochemical scientist. She is well-known for her work in the field of lithium-ion batteries.

She stated her career as an entry-level scientist at CSIR-CECRI. She has been in research for more than 25 years. She became its director with her great work.

She hailed from Ambasamudhram, a small town in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. She finished her schooling in Tamil medium. Her research primarily focused on electrochemical power systems, including the development of electrode materials.

Kalaiselvi published more than 125 research papers. Many of her contributions to the National Mission for Electric Mobility are vital. She has six patents as well.

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