After 11 months, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) finally has a new full time director-general, with the appointment of Dr Samir Kumar Brahmachari as the new CSIR chief on Monday.

Dr Brahmachari, who had spent 23 years at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore researching genetics and molecular biology, will steer the chain of 37 CSIR laboratories in order to achieve scientific excellence.
Asked about his Bangalore days, the Kolkata-born geneticist told Deccan Herald that those 23 years were the best part of his life as he got opportunities to learn from stalwarts like Dr G N Ramachandran and Dr C N R Rao at the IISc.

‘No first class degree’

When he first came to IISc in the 1970s, Dr Brahmachari did not even have a first class degree which was a prerequisite for entering the premier institute. But he convinced the scientists to interview him just once despite having a second class.

“The interview was satisfactory and I got a chance to work at the lush green IISc. In 1981 I became a faculty at the IISc,” he said.

In 1997, Dr Brahmachari was handpicked by former CSIR chief Dr R A Mashelkar to head the Centre for Biotechnology, which has been transformed into an ultra-modern genetics laboratory called Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, now a premier genetics and molecular biology institution.

Void filled

Dr Brahmachari’s appointment filled the void at the top of the India’s largest science research establishment after Mysore’s Dr V Prakash’s sudden decision to relinquish the top job voluntarily on health grounds on January 1, 2007.
Dr Prakash heads the Mysore-based Central Food Technological Research Institute.
In the last 10 months two science secretaries — Dr T Ramasami at the department of science and technology and Dr M K Bhan at the department of biotechnology — headed the CSIR in acting capacity.

Dr Samir Kumar Brahmachari has been involved in issues related to unethical exploitation of genetic resources from the developing world.

“Indian genetic material cannot be taken for granted. Because of our rich genetic resources we can be among the top nations in genetics, which is generating billions worldwide,” Dr Brahmachari said.