Girish Sahni assumes charge as next Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)

Dr. Girish Sahni, who had been the Director, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH), Chandigarh, assumed charge as the next Director General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, with effect from the 24th August 2015. 

Dr. Sahni, having specialization in Protein Engineering, Molecular Biology, and Biotechnology, has contributed significantly in the area of protein cardiovascular drugs especially ‘clot busters’ and their mode of action in the human body. The team led by him is responsible for producing technology for India’s first indigenous clot bluster drug, natural streptokinase (under brand name ‘STPase’ marketed by Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Ahmedabad), and recombinant streptokinase (produced by Shasun Drugs, Chennai) marketed as several brand names eg. ‘Klotbuster’ (Alembic) and ‘LupiFlo’ (Lupin). His team has also developed a novel life-saver thrombolytic drug (Clot-specific streptokinase), India’s first bio-therapeutic molecule which is not a Biosimilar. This life-saver drug has been patented world wide and licensed to a US Pharma company for which the commercial launch is expected in 2016. Recently, the team led by him developed fourth-generation ‘Anti-thrombotic’ clot busters - the first of its kind in the world. 

Born on 2nd March 1956, Dr Sahni is a PhD from Indian institute of Science (IISc), Bangaluru. His post PhD career included a stint each in University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA: Postdoc Trainee 1984-86; Rockefeller University New York, USA: Sr. Research Associate and Adjunct Faculty 1986-88; and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York: Sr. Research Associate 1987-91, before he joined CSIR-IMTECH in 1991 and became its Director in 2005. 

Dr. Sahni is internationally recognized for his research contributions. He has been the author of several papers published in high impact refereed scientific journals and has a number of national and international patents to his credit. He is Fellow, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi; Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore, and NASI, Allahabad; Fellow, Association of Microbiologists of India; and Member, Guha Research Conference. 

Amongst the many awards he has received for his contributions, the most important ones are: National Biotechnology Product Development Award 2002, CSIR Technology Shield 2001-2002, The Vasvik Industrial Award 2000, Ranbaxy Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2003, Vigyan Rattan Award 2014, Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award 2013, and CSIR Technology Award for Business Development and Technology Marketing 2014. 

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Awards

CSIR Young Scientist Awards, 2011 were instituted in 1987. CSIR Young Scientist Awards seek to promote in- house excellence in various fields of science and technology. CSIR scientist, below 35 years of age, as reckoned on 26 September (CSIR Fondation Day) of the preceding year, is eligible for the Award.

These awards are given annually in the fields of Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences and Engineering Sciences Physical Sciences (including instrumentation).

Each award consist of a citation, a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand only) and a plaque. CSIR Young Scientist Awardees are also entitled to a research grant of Rs. 5.0 Lakhs (Rupees five lakh only) per annum for a period of five years and an honorarium of Rs. 7,5000/- (Rupees seven thousand and five hundred only) per month till the age of 45 years.

Till 2010, 140 scientists (including 17 women scientists) have received the CSIR Yound Scientist Award and out of these 15 scientists have been conferred with the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. For the year 2011, Advisory Committee consisting of eminent scientists recommended the following seven scientists for the CSIR Young Scientist Awards. This year, none was found suitable in Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences (including instrumentation).

In Chemical Sciences, Dr Bikash Kumar Jena was given the CSIR Young Scientist Award for the year 2011 in Chemical Sciences. Dr Bikash Kumar Jena is from CSIR Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar . It is given for his outstanding contribution in the area of materials chemistry particularly in developing methods for synthesizing shapes control structures useful for sensing , electrocatalysis and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies.